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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25699516">Alone With You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeiliaMedlini/pseuds/DeiliaMedlini'>DeiliaMedlini</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, American Sign Language, Angst, Bullying, Bullying By An Adult, But Enemies is a Really Strong Word, But They're Not Deaf, Car Accidents, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Family Issues, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Implied Sexual Content, Link (Legend of Zelda) Needs a Hug, Link Has it Rough, Link Loves Swearing, Memories, Panic Attacks, Popular Zelda, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Private School, Repressed Memories, Romance, Rough Homelives, School Uniforms, Self-Esteem Issues, Smoking, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Theater Nerd Zelda, Underage Drinking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:14:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>167,870</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25699516</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeiliaMedlini/pseuds/DeiliaMedlini</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zelda is a popular high school senior whose hobbies include theater, the school senate, and fighting with the Vice Principal (who seems to have a personal vendetta against her). Link is her aloof classmate with a motorcycle, two friends, and a bad reputation that steers most people far away from him before he can even say 'hi.' After years of never talking to each other, a brief project in their ASL class has them noticing the other more and more, and they realize that there's more to the other person than meets the eye. And they're about to figure out that life isn't meant to be lived alone.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1697</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>821</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Zelda Harknian… why are you in my office <em>again</em>? I thought we addressed this issue last time.”</p>
<p>Zelda crossed her arms. She’d been sent to the Vice Principal’s office about five times since senior year began less than a month ago for unintentional dress code violations, and today was no different.</p>
<p>“I swear! Look! I don’t roll my skirt.” She untucked her uniform blouse just enough so the Vice Principal, Mrs. Joy, could see that she wasn’t lying. How many more times could she tell them that it wasn’t her fault she was tall?</p>
<p>Zelda had been petitioning for more lax rules. It brought them to butt heads more than once. While Mrs. Joy might be the Vice <em>Principal</em>, Zelda was the Vice <em>President</em> of the Senior Class at ‘Daphnes Rhoam Hyrule High’, and it meant something, even if it only meant something to her. If there was one thing she was going to accomplish before graduation, she was <em>going</em> to get these uniform codes reduced. Being one of the ‘popular’ students had to have a practical benefit at some point, like when she'd gotten a petition signed last year to remove restrictions on acceptable shoes. And it worked.</p>
<p>“Take that hem down then,” Mrs. Joy said, giving it a halfhearted glance and running a hand through her stress-tousled hair before pushing up her glasses and toying with a butterfly necklace she wore. She was tired of how many students were sent to her for breaking dress code but did little more than demand they fix things or offer them detention as an alternative. And Zelda Harkinian was her most frequent visitor, be it the wrong kind of polo, a button-down in the wrong color, a generic grey skirt rather than the approved one from the uniform store, or like now, the damned hem.</p>
<p>Zelda scoffed. “I don’t know how to sew. Neither do my parents. How do I even take a hem down?”</p>
<p>Mrs. Joy sat back at her desk and let out a long, frustrated breath. “Google it, or watch a YouTube video then. But don’t let me see you in here again, Ms. Harkinian. It’ll be a detention next time. You've worn my patience thin. Come to school tomorrow with that fixed. There are rules, and you haven’t been able to follow any of them.”</p>
<p>Defeated for now, Zelda crossed her arms in absolute disgust. “Could I at least have a late note to class, please?”</p>
<p>Mrs. Joy checked the clock and jotted down a note onto a piece of paper. “Remember what I said.”</p>
<p>“Of course,” Zelda said, grabbing her bag off the ground and heading for the bathroom. It took <em>every</em> ounce of self-control to keep her attitude from showing.</p>
<p>When she got to the bathroom, she set her backpack down in front of the mirror and ran her hands through her long blonde hair several times to take out any small knots before tying it up into a high ponytail. She enjoyed the small things in life, like the feeling of a high ponytail hitting her neck and swinging around with even the slightest move of her head.</p>
<p>And as she stared at her green eyes in the reflection of the mirror, she could see her frustration so clearly in them. She glanced briefly at the door before untucking her blouse and rolling her skirt up just once, just to see how bad it would be if she <em>actually</em> decided to roll it.</p>
<p>With her long legs, and athletic but willowy frame, her grey uniform skirt <em>always</em> looked short on her. It was the curse of being just over the average height of the other girls in her class, and all that height was in her legs, not her torso. But when she rolled her skirt, she was admittedly glad she was wearing tights. It was not the kind of attention she wanted to subject herself to at school. And while amusing to herself in a bathroom with no one around, she immediately unrolled it back to normal. Sighing, she pressed her hands flat against her side to see just how short her skirt actually was. The hem was above her fingertips, but not by miles. Maybe knuckle height, give or take an inch, but she didn’t know what to do about it. Go all <em>Honey I Shrunk the Kids</em> on herself and become the size of an ant? She bought the skirt a few weeks ago at the end of summer. It came this way.</p>
<p>Resigned, Zelda grabbed her bag off the ground and hurried across the first floor of the building to reach her class.</p>
<p>Daphnes Rhoam Hyrule High, or DRHH, as everyone called it, was a small, private school where everyone recognized each other and knew their names, even if they’d never spoken a day in their lives. She knew that the girl with short blonde hair at the water fountain was Ilia Woods. They’d shared six classes in four years, and she was pretty sure she’d never even said hello to the girl.</p>
<p>Zelda passed a classroom that was full, and she saw one of her best friends, Ruto Zora, looking incredibly bored as she took notes. Zelda waved frantically to get her attention, standing just far enough away from the door so the teacher couldn’t quite see her. She saw Darunia nudge Ruto and gesture to the door, suppressing a laugh of his own. When Ruto noticed Zelda, her face lit up and she waved back, living for the small moments of school like this where she could enjoy a surprise hello from her best friend.</p>
<p>Zelda began to dance in the empty hallway, dramatically head-banging the air and hopping from side to side. She could hear Ruto laughing and Zelda stopped just in time to see Mr. Auru pop his head out the door.</p>
<p>“Zelda? Why aren’t you in class?”</p>
<p>Zelda snorted as she stopped. “Sorry, Mr. Auru. I’m on my way. I have a note.”</p>
<p>“I thought you theater kids had better dance skills than that. That was just sad,” he jested before closing the door, leaving her with her mouth hanging open, amused. She loved Mr. Auru. He was everyone’s favorite teacher at the school, and he was notorious for comments like that, so it didn’t <em>actually</em> surprise her.</p>
<p>Biting her lip as she fought a laugh, she pulled out her vibrating phone to see the laughing emoji from Ruto. Rolling her eyes, she tucked it back into her backpack’s net side-pocket and finally made it to class.</p>
<p>Mrs. Uli gave her a kind smile as she stopped her lecture to take the late note from Zelda. Zelda felt her face turn slightly red as the entire class stopped to stare at her while she took her seat beside her other friend, Medli.</p>
<p>“Okay, get into your groups,” Mrs. Uli said, holding her hand out to Zelda to wait. “I want you to carry on a full conversation for as long as you can, and then you’ll come up and demonstrate for the class.</p>
<p>Zelda turned to Medli, but her friend just shook her head. “Sorry, she picked our partners.”</p>
<p>Groaning, Zelda watched Medli change seats to sit near her assigned partner.</p>
<p>Mrs. Uli leaned against the desk. “Okay, Zelda. Why don’t you join Maple’s group?”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Zelda said, looking around. And when she saw the group, she groaned.</p>
<p>Maple, a girl who talked about the unfairness of witch trials <em>at least</em> every day, was sitting between two guys. One was a jock, popular, like Zelda was, but someone she absolutely hated being in the presence of. Groose looked at her and wriggled his eyebrows, and she remembered exactly why she detested him. And then there was this other boy from homeroom and a few of her classes, leaning back in his chair, bored and fiddling with the threads of his blue uniform sweater. Link. Gods, she’d never spoken to him before, but she’d heard horrible things about him over the years, especially once people heard he'd been arrested. He was someone people purposely avoided.</p>
<p>She waved, which they all silently responded to.</p>
<p>It was an expected silence though. She’d been one of the ten people to opt to take the second ever addition of sign language as her ‘foreign language and culture’ class. Every one of them had started last year and were now in the 'advanced' class.</p>
<p><em>“What are we supposed to be doing?” </em>Maple asked, though she signed incredibly slowly, thinking long and hard about each individual sign.</p>
<p>Groose just sat there, like he couldn’t even understand what she’d asked. Besides that, he was staring obnoxiously at Zelda, leaning toward her as if she somehow couldn’t see his big, annoying face.</p>
<p>Link, on the other hand, watched <em>everyone</em>, including her, before he pulled his headphones from his pocket, slid the wire up from under his sweater and plopped them into his ears. There were dark, baggy circled under his eyes and he smelled faintly like cigarette smoke, as if he’d recently found a time and place to have one.</p>
<p>Great, she thought. This was going to go well.</p>
<p>Zelda turned her attention to Maple, since it seemed the other two were going to be little help. <em>“We can have a conversation about our likes or dislikes. ‘What’s your favorite food?’ ‘I like pie.’” </em></p>
<p>Maple’s face scrunched up. <em>“What did you say? Slower.”</em></p>
<p>Zelda could see Link watching her with interest, unlike Groose who watched her with creepy googly eyes and a face that screamed ignorance. She apologized and signed slower for Maple.</p>
<p><em>“Okay. I like grapes. What’s your favorite food?” </em>She directed it at Link.</p>
<p>Link gave a tight smile as Mrs. Uli glanced over at their group. he turned to Zelda, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. <em>“I hate purple grapes, but I really like green ones.” </em>His eyes flicked up to Mrs. Uli. She gave an attentive smile before turning and bending down to help Medli’s group, her back to theirs. Link’s eyes darted back over to Zelda, a mischievous glint in them. “<em>I think this is a fucking stupid conversation. You picked a really shitty topic. And now I’m going to have to sign slower for this girl because she’s looking at me like I’m fucking crazy. I’d bet she still wouldn’t know what I was saying.”</em></p>
<p>Zelda’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. She glanced at Maple, who was, in fact, looking at Link like he was crazy.</p>
<p>But Zelda recovered quickly and turned her full attention onto Link. <em>“If you’re so pissed at me for some reason, pick a new topic, asshole.”</em></p>
<p>It was Link’s turn to be surprised. He watched her genuinely annoyed expression for a moment before smirking to himself, like his suspicions about something had been confirmed. <em>“You understood that?”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“I took this class because I know sign language already, not because I want to talk about grapes. I wanted an easy grade. Clearly, you’re doing the same thing. Don’t be a jerk to her just because she genuinely wants to learn.”</em>
</p>
<p>Slowly and deliberately, he signed what appeared to be a sincere ‘sorry’ to her and took a deep breath, looking back at Maple, returning to his bored expression.  <em>“She said she likes steak and soda. I like pizza.” </em></p>
<p>Maple smiled, understanding the much simpler conversation, and wrongly assuming they’d been actually discussing food in their rapid movements that she hadn’t been able to follow.</p>
<p>Out of the corner of her eye, Zelda could see Link tapping his foot, either bored or annoyed. She could feel his eyes on her as well.</p>
<p>And for some reason, she couldn’t get the encounter out of her head even long after she’d gone home.</p>
<p>Pompous ass.</p>
<p>She now knew why she hated Groose, and why she didn't like Link.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I might not know ASL, but I do remember the good old days of horrible, strict, demeaning dress codes at a private high school, so I can speak with some authority on that!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda was notorious for arriving early to school each day. She’d get the best parking spots, and she usually ended up with about thirty minutes to spare before needing to make her way to homeroom. Sometimes, she’d bring a muffin or a breakfast sandwich from a local coffee shop, other times, she’d eat cereal or something quick at home, and on days like today, she’d buy a simple meal from the cafeteria’s breakfast selection.</p><p>She was spreading an obscene amount of butter onto her corn muffin when Makeela sat down, making a face at Zelda’s meal, though her mouth began to water as she lustily stared at the carb-overload.</p><p>“I wish I could eat like you, Z.”</p><p>Unlike Zelda, who only played volleyball and did theater, Makeela played nearly every sport the school offered, and was looking to ride through college on a sports scholarship. But it meant that she was never allowed to indulge in cravings, even if it was more mental on her part to maintain her ‘fighting form,’ as she enjoyed calling it.</p><p>Zelda offered her a bite, but Makeela shook her head. “Tempting, but no. It’s like chips: one bite isn’t enough. I’ll just want more. Thanks, though.”</p><p>“Did you catch up on <em>Moonlight Howl</em> yet?” Zelda asked between bites.</p><p>“No! Don’t spoil it!” Makeela said hurriedly. “I wanted to so bad, but I needed to study for the English quiz.”</p><p>“Want my flashcards? Front pocket of my backpack.”</p><p>“Gods, Zelda,” Makeela breathed, reaching for the bag, “You’re my actual hero. When we graduate, you need to sell all your flashcards. It’s like the Goddess wrote them; they’re divine.”  </p><p>“I could, couldn’t I?”</p><p>They laughed before a loud motor outside cut off outside the window, bringing a sudden, unexpected silence with it. Zelda didn’t need to turn to look to know who drove the only motorcycle in the school.</p><p>“Have you ever talked to him?” Zelda asked, gesturing at Link out the window.</p><p>Makeela looked up from the flashcards and shook her head. “Nope. I’m not in the habit talking to a convict. I like being a good girl.”</p><p>Zelda snorted. “I didn’t know you’d be corrupted by a simple conversation.”</p><p>Laughing, Makeela made a face. “You corrupted me when you told me I should watch <em>Moonlight Howl</em>. I knew you liked some weird tv shows, but girl, this show is more intense than <em>The Twilight Throne</em>.”</p><p>Zelda went back to the muffin, “Werewolves are sexy. This show knows it, and they’re not afraid to let everyone else know too.”</p><p>Makeela just chuckled and glanced at the clock. “What day is today?”</p><p>Thinking for a minute, Zelda hummed. “C day. Don’t worry, you have time before your quiz. Keep the cards all day; I’m good.”</p><p>“Thank the gods,” Makeela muttered. “And thank you too.”</p><p>“Harkinian!”</p><p>Zelda’s ears pricked up and she looked at the doorway where Mrs. Joy was standing. There were students mulling around, but Zelda kept her eyes firmly on Mrs. Joy. “Yes?”</p><p>“Stand up.”</p><p>Zelda groaned, looking around this time. “Really?”</p><p>“Really.”</p><p>She could feel her face flushing, her palms sweating. All eyes were on her.</p><p>She stood up with her hands by her side.</p><p>“Detention,” Mrs. Joy barked out. “Today, after school. One hour.”</p><p>Zelda took a determined step forward, feeling herself <em>burning</em> with the embarrassment of being watched by every early student in the cafeteria. But she couldn’t help herself when she found her brashness bubbling up to the surface. “You barely gave me time! I can’t sew, and I didn’t have any time to go get a new one!”</p><p>“Your mother knows how to sew. Get it fixed, Ms. Harkinian, or you’ll be in detention every day until you do. I’m done giving you warnings.”</p><p>Zelda bit her lip, furiously fighting back the embarrassed tears in her eyes. Mrs. Joy didn’t even seem to realize what she’d done, but Zelda could see <em>everyone</em> looking at her. And this time, it wasn’t in her head.</p><p>Groose was watching her, his eyes too focused on her long legs. Medli was watching her, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. Ilia was watching her, empathetic pity on her face. Makeela was watching her, feeling secondhand embarrassment for her. Link was watching her, his eyes quickly darting between Zelda and Mrs. Joy.</p><p>Zelda was popular. She was a volleyball player. She was Vice President. She did theater. But all of those things were roles she could play. When eyes were on her then, she wasn’t <em>Zelda Harkinian. </em></p><p>Standing in the cafeteria as <em>herself</em>, she had nowhere to hide, and it imploded into her. “I have to go,” she muttered to Makeela, grabbing her open bag and slinging it over her shoulders before hurrying to her locker, ungracefully stumbling past the chairs in the cafeteria.</p><p>As she burst through the swinging doors, her backpack hit the door and sent her pens, pencils, and one notebook flying across the hallway. With unbridled anger, she threw her bag off her shoulders and let it slam against a nearby locker as she tossed it away from her before bending to gather her things.</p><p>She ran her hand along her eyes, careful to avoid wiping her makeup off, and grabbed a handful of her things, wishing now that she didn’t have such an obsession with strange and adorable pens. She’d have fewer to pick up.</p><p>But there was something near her face that had her jerking backwards just to see what it was.</p><p>Link was holding her notebook with three pens and a pencil all attached to the cover. “I’m sorry about yesterday,” he said, bending down on his haunches to give everything to her.</p><p>She looked between him and the cafeteria doors, <em>sure</em> he’d have said something about what he’d just witnessed. But she welcomed the fact that he didn’t far more than she was willing to admit.</p><p>“Thanks,” she said, taking everything. “Do you normally talk about people behind their backs?”</p><p>His blue eyes matched hers, level and unwavering. “Sometimes, yeah. I try not to, but we all do it, don’t we?”</p><p>Zelda hugged her notebook to herself, making a face. “You’re just admitting that?”</p><p>Link shrugged, standing back up. “Call me a lot of things, but not a liar. Am I a fucking asshole? Yeah, I can be sometimes. But I’m no Mrs. Joy. So, I am sorry for yesterday.”</p><p>Zelda stood up and headed to her backpack to put everything away. “Okay. Apology accepted on my part, but it’s Maple who really deserves that apology.”</p><p>“I’ll make it up to her when we finish that conversation project today. I’ll be a perfect angel and help her get through the presentation.” He shot her a winning smile that had her taken aback by its charm. That was <em>not </em>a word she’d ever have associated with him. “Hey, Zelda?”</p><p>And of course he knew her name. Everyone knew each other’s name. But the way he said it, so familiarly, as if they were friends, had her surprised again. “Yeah?”</p><p>“Can I borrow a pen for my first class? I’ll give it back later.”</p><p>She dug through her bag and grabbed a boring black pen, tossing it to him. “Keep it.”</p><p>“Thanks.” He tucked it behind his ear and started to walk off.</p><p>“Link?”</p><p>“Hrmm?” he said, turning back to her.</p><p>She pulled her own shirt before pointing to his. “You’re in violation of the uniform codes. You can only wear white under your sweater, or the demon will give you detention too.” Her words were genuine, but her tone was bitter, not directed towards Link though.</p><p>He glanced at his grey shirt, everything about it meeting the dress code but the color. And when his eyes turned back to her, they were shining. “I’ll see you there, then.”</p><p>“Zelda!” Makeela said, hurrying through the doors. She didn’t even glance at Link as he walked away, invisible to anyone who didn’t want to associate with him. But she caught up to Zelda. “Are you okay? That was harsh.”</p><p>Zelda just tucked her hair behind her ear and fiddled with the bottom of her skirt. “Do you have time to come over today? I need help with this.”</p><p>“Of course. I’ll go Google some sewing stuff while you’re in detention and then follow you home. We’ll fix all your skirts.”</p><p>Zelda grabbed Makeela’s arm and hugged it as they walked to Zelda’s locker.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><hr/><p>Zelda sat in the nearly empty room after school had finished, tapping her pen anxiously against the desk. It wasn’t her first detention, but she still felt nervous. If her parents found out, they’d probably fire her from her—admittedly under the table—job at their office. She had become too proficient at handling the secretarial responsibilities and worked three days a week after school answering phones, scheduling meetings, arranging schedules, filing, and sorting. And they paid her much better than minimum wage. For that, she was thankful. She knew not many had the benefit of well-off parents who were willing to do that. Even if it was kind of actually illegal.</p><p>Auditions for the school play were at the end of the week, so she spent detention studying the audition lines, humming a soft tune as she tried to remember lyrics. It would be a Fall musical, and there were only three others in the room, and they were all spread out, so she didn’t think her humming was actually annoying anyone.</p><p>So, when the door whipped open, the custodian half dragging someone inside, her heart skipped a nervous beat before she could calm it down.</p><p>The ‘someone’ was Link.</p><p>Mrs. Joy looked over from her proctoring desk and stood up. “What happened?”</p><p>The janitor let Link go. “I found him taking things from my closet. He said he belongs in here anyway, so I just escorted him.”</p><p>“What did he take?” she asked, before turning to Link. “What did you take?”</p><p>“A new roll of paper towels and some surface wipes,” the custodian answered when Link remained quiet. His face was red with embarrassment and a silent fury, and Zelda related a little too well to that.</p><p>Mrs. Joy scoffed. “Coming up with a juvenile prank, no doubt. Take your seat, Mr. Hunter. I’ll think of an appropriate punishment after Mr. Wright and I discuss this outside.”</p><p>Link sat on the far end of the room in the back corner, ignoring Zelda as usual as he fished for his headphones. It didn’t bother her. Before yesterday, she’d barely known he existed. But she had to admit, if nothing else, she empathized with him. Public humiliation was not an experience she wanted to share.</p><p>But for now, there was nothing she could do except study her lines and read Makeela’s texts about how many different sewing kits existed in the world.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda walked through the empty halls after school on Thursday, muttering to herself, skipping as she did, clutching the little sample script in her hands.</p>
<p>Her eyes were closed as she paced, trying to imagine the character, the scene. “’I’m the one you and your friend met that night...remember? Blah Blah Blah… You said if...I ever needed a friend. Stuff happens. Pretty isn’t it. Stuff again. This one, he enjoyed himself doing it too. Things like this happen where I come from, but you don’t expect it from a gentleman.’” She rolled her eyes to herself. “You’ve got this, Zelda. ‘Hyde, he called himself. Edward Hyde.’”</p>
<p>She glanced down at the paper to check and see if she gotten all the lines right. And with a small triumphant gesture, she did a happy dance to herself, only stopping when she saw her friend Darunia chuckling at her.</p>
<p>“You ready for auditions?”</p>
<p>Zelda wiped her forehead. “Nope. I hate auditioning. I will never ever enjoy it, and I’m never actually ready. You?”</p>
<p>“No. I don’t know who to audition for. I can’t be Jekyll, my voice won’t get up that high. You going for Lucy or Emma?”</p>
<p>Zelda made a face, like it was obvious. “Lucy. I can’t sing high enough for Emma. We’ll start a club: The ‘Please Don’t Make Me Sing High Notes’ club.”</p>
<p>Darunia made a face. “PDMMSHN. I’ll remember that for sure. Your dad is going to let you even consider playing that character?”</p>
<p>But Zelda smirked. She was glad her dad hadn’t asked her what role she was auditioning for. It might be an awkward conversation to explain that her current goal in life was to play a prostitute. “Honestly, if this school thinks the play is fine for a bunch of high schoolers, then he should be fine with it too.”</p>
<p>“Nice. I’ve got to run to my locker, then I’ll see you in the auditorium!”</p>
<p>“Don’t forget your comfortable shoes this time.”</p>
<p>“Not after last year! They’re in my bag. Never again,” he chuckled, before leaving her.</p>
<p>With a deep breath, Zelda laid on the floor of the foyer, chanting the lines to herself. As usual, she was early, so the choreographer wasn’t even there yet to teach them the audition dance.</p>
<p>And it wasn’t until she heard someone clear their throat that she even knew someone else had arrived.</p>
<p>“Link?” Zelda gasped, sitting up. She felt her ponytail whack her in the face from the abrupt movement. “You’re auditioning?”</p>
<p>He chuckled and produced a long broom. “Fuck no. I’m a janitor here for the next two weeks.”</p>
<p>“Are they paying you?”</p>
<p>He snickered and shoved his hand into his back pocket. “I had to move my actual paying job shift because of this bullshit, so no. It’s just a fucking punishment for the paper towels.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” she said, looking him over. He was in jeans and a sweatshirt, and she could see the wires of his earbuds tucked through his sweatshirt. “Am I in your way?”</p>
<p>“Kind of.”</p>
<p>“Sorry,” she said, rising to her feet. She brushed off her black leggings and adjusted her shirt. Exercise clothes, because they’d be dancing for a while tonight to learn and practice the audition dance.</p>
<p>He quickly ran the broom along the ground. “You’re good. Thanks. I still wouldn’t lie on this floor though.”</p>
<p>When the door to the school opened again, Link moved away from Zelda, continuing with his work as two boys joined Zelda in the foyer.</p>
<p>Her eyes lit up and she practically ran into one’s arms, throwing herself at him.</p>
<p>“You came back in time!” she squeaked, kissing Revali on the cheek. “I honestly didn’t think you’d make it.”</p>
<p>“Why am I snubbed?” the other man, Sidon, asked, holding his arms out.</p>
<p>Zelda stepped into his arms, but looked up at the tall, gangly boy with a grin. “You didn’t go on a vacation. I saw you this morning.”</p>
<p>Revali looked over Zelda’s shoulder. “That freak isn’t auditioning, right? I’d rather not get killed by a convict.”</p>
<p>“He’s not,” Zelda muttered, though she wasn’t sure what exactly she was saying. Was she saying he wasn’t auditioning? Or he wasn’t a freak? Or he’s not going to kill you? Maybe all of it. “Hey, tell me about your trip!”</p>
<p>“Ruto is on her way,” Sidon interrupted as he glanced at his phone, tossing his bag down and stretching his arms.</p>
<p>“Run lines with me instead, Zelda,” Revali said, his winning smile plastered on his face. Not that he’d need it with her; she’d do it anyway. She’d been Revali’s scene partner several times in the past, and many claimed they had very believable chemistry. But there was nothing between them but friendship, and for that, they were both grateful. It made scenes in class and on stage far less awkward.</p>
<p>“Okay,” she muttered clearing her voice. “Let’s do this. But you owe me that vacation story later!”</p>
<p>“Deal,” he winked at her.</p>
<p>And none of them noticed Link sweeping the same exact spot the entire time.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next morning, she was back in her daily uniform, hem undone and looking terrible with its still frayed pieces along the edges. She could cut them, but if Mrs. Joy wanted that hem taken down, Zelda wasn’t going to let it look neat, simply out of spite.</p>
<p>She sat on her bed, wishing she could just slide back under the soft sheets and curl up under the thick comforter with the AC on to keep her at the absolutely perfect temperature. She wanted to sleep, gods, did she hate waking up for school. Fridays were almost worse than Mondays. The weekend was a taunting distance away, and she longed to spend the last few lounging in her heated pool before her dad closed it up for the rest of the year.</p>
<p>But for now, she headed down the winding staircase, heedless of making noise, since her parents were both already at work. In a hurried motion, she grabbed her bag, hiked it over her shoulders, took her keys off the keyring, and locked the door behind her. Her car was in the driveway, despite the empty garage. There was only enough room for her parents’ two cars in there. And unless it snowed, she really didn’t mind. They were in a safe neighborhood, and it was rare that break-ins happened with the high security most of the houses had. Though, at night, she relished coming home after rehearsals and having a motion-sensor spotlight illuminate the walkway to her front porch. It made life easier.</p>
<p><em>No</em>, she thought to herself as she started her car. <em>No thinking about home! </em>It was the curse of a Friday.</p>
<p>The drive to school was mundane and had her daydreaming about what she’d do first this weekend. She was grateful when she got to school and heard the first bell ring. It at least gave her something concrete to focus on.</p>
<p>Zelda sat in homeroom with her hands clasped together tightly to stop from fiddling with the frayed edges of her unhemmed skirt. Link walked in and sat in the desk beside her. It was the first time she’d realized it, but he’d been sitting beside her every morning thanks to their last names. Harkinian, and Hunter. They were the only two with “H” last names. She also realized that if she turned around at her locker, she’d probably see his.</p>
<p>“Did you win that role thing?” he asked, turning to her.</p>
<p>“I did.”</p>
<p>“Nice.”</p>
<p>It was short, simple, and all they said to each other all day until Advanced Chemistry, right after their ASL class where they’d remained indifferent yet again.</p>
<p>Zelda saw him take out the same pen she’d lent him—since he sat diagonally from her in the science lab. It took her noticing one particular student to see just how small their school actually was, and how many people she truly didn’t notice because they weren’t part of her friend group. Not only was he in those two classes and her homeroom, but he was also in her study class, which, once a week, meant he was also in P.E. with her. And yet she’d never paid attention.</p>
<p>But she settled into her seat and waited for the chapter test to be handed out. They’d known about it for a few days but had been warned that they needed to study the chapter thoroughly. Instead, she’d been studying a script.</p>
<p>When the test was in front of her, she was relieved that she knew the material and breezed through the first few questions before realizing that the rest of the quiz hinged on knowing the answer to number seven. She muttered a curse to herself and read the question before feeling highly confident in her answer, then moving on.</p>
<p>About halfway through the period, her eyes began to hurt, so she gave herself a break to look around the room. Ruto was in the corner, her pen flying across the page. Darunia was across from her with Revali beside him, both tapping their own pencils on the desk.</p>
<p>And Link. Her eyes settled on Link.</p>
<p>His hand was fisted through his hair, like he was about to pull it out, white knuckled and tense. His other hand absently twirled the pen around as his eyes were locked on the page. His eyes, dark circles still, puffy and red, betrayed his exhaustion. Every now and then, his hand would press against them before letting go, or he’d stifle a yawn.</p>
<p>She glanced at his paper. He was still on number seven.</p>
<p>No wonder he was stressing out.</p>
<p>He’d mentioned his job, and school, and the janitor requirements, plus homework, she realized he probably hadn’t had the time to study. And something came across her as she realized that she <em>wanted</em> to help him.</p>
<p>Stretching out her arms, like she was yawning, she made a noticeably obvious show of it before she moved back to normal, seeing Link’s eyes on her. A few others were looking at her too. She stretched her fingers out and darted her eyes between Link and her hand, silently directing his eyes while the rest of the class returned their attention to their own tests.</p>
<p>He covertly watched her sign the number <em>7</em>. Link glanced down at his paper. He was on number 7 and she knew it. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously back at hers but returned his gaze to her hand.</p>
<p>
  <em>B.</em>
</p>
<p>His eyes flickered up to hers, more confused than anything, but she pretended to stretch one more time before quickly throwing a <em>“Trust me,” </em>in there.</p>
<p>She stopped her obnoxious stretching and started to play with her hair, keeping her head angled down so she wasn’t obvious when she watched him fill in the bubble and move on. He nodded once to her, a silent thank you, before they both returned to their test, not speaking to each other again for the rest of the day, not even when she went in for the table read with the cast and saw him there cleaning the trophy case.</p>
<p>They were perfectly indifferent strangers. Nothing more.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The musical she’s in is Jekyll and Hyde. If you’re not into theater, that’s fine; the show itself is not important for this fic. If you’re a theater person and have any idea what I’m talking about, though, it kind of sounds like a show high schools wouldn’t do, but I’ve seen it once before. Besides, my school once did a production of Pippin and had to take a moment to teach some people what orgies were, and another year, they did Cabaret, which I mean… no explanation needed there considering the subject matter, so I don’t think it’s a stretch to do this show. That’s my reminiscing story of the day</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Monday morning, Zelda pulled new clothes from her closet, still with the price tag attached. It was a surprisingly warm day for mid to late September, and it was a dress down day. She tucked two dollars into her bag and let her straight hair fall down over her shoulders as she donned a sleeveless sundress, a necklace, a bracelet, and some flats before finishing off her makeup. For the first time in a long time, thanks to the uniform debacle, she felt good and confident going into school. She felt <em>pretty</em>, not like the horrible skank Mrs. Joy makes her out to be. It was a nice feeling for a change. There was no way Mrs. Joy could criticize this dress. It went well to her knees.</p>
<p>Today was a drive-through kind of day. Grabbing an iced coffee and a bagel, she drove the rest of the way to school, parked, and finished her breakfast in her car before heading inside. Of course, she was early.</p>
<p>She made a quick pit stop in the cafeteria to see if anyone was here yet that she’d want to hang around with, but only Ruto was there, and she was frantically scribbling her last-minute homework down. She didn’t look like she wanted to be bothered, so, Zelda headed to her locker to put her books away for the day.</p>
<p>The hallway was usually more crowded than the cafeteria, but not today. Today, there were three people mulling around, and two of them were leaving. The third was Link, sitting on the ground by his locker, tapping his foot to the beat of some music in his ear.</p>
<p>Zelda could almost hear a song in her own head, bopping along like it were real, but it came to a screeching halt at the sound of her name.</p>
<p>“Ms. Harkinian!”</p>
<p>Zelda closed her eyes and turned to Mrs. Joy, not even bothering to wait for the Vice Principal to speak. “This dress goes all the way to my knees. It is not too short!”</p>
<p>Mrs. Joy’s eyes betrayed her rage at the snippy comment, and her hand aggressively motioned to Zelda’s shoulders. “Where are the straps?”</p>
<p>Brushing her hair aside, Zelda let Mrs. Joy see the shoulders of her dress, but it didn’t appease the woman.</p>
<p>“You can’t show this much skin. You need <em>sleeves</em>. It’s a distraction and impedes the learning of other students. You either go home and change before first period and get a tardy, or you find some sweater in your car to cover up. You cannot stay at school like this.”</p>
<p>“A sweater?” Zelda barked. “It’s still technically summer! I don’t keep a <em>sweater</em> in my car!”</p>
<p>“Then buy one from the office or return home.”</p>
<p>“They’re so expensive at the office, and I already have three. Please, it’s a dress down day.”</p>
<p>“You should have considered that before you chose this outfit.”</p>
<p>“It’s not like this is strapless! This even covers up more than the uniform does except for the sleeves!”</p>
<p>“Don’t backtalk me, Ms. Harkinian.”</p>
<p>Zelda bit her lip, this time, feeling tears. “Why do you have it out for me?”</p>
<p>That didn’t sit well. “I don’t have it out for you, young lady. I enforce the policies of this school, and you are a rule breaker. You cannot seem to dress appropriately any day of the week. And I saw the role you received in the show. I should have expected you to show up in something inappropriate after that.”</p>
<p><em>That</em> drew a sharp sob from Zelda’s throat. Had she just been told she dressed like a prostitute character in a play? It wasn’t the fact that she’d be late, or forced to go home simply to change, it was because of the burning self-humiliation this woman made Zelda feel.</p>
<p>“Go home and change… now. Your negligence for the rules deserves a tardy. I hope you don’t have too many on your record, Ms. Harkinian.”</p>
<p>Zelda started to back up, but she felt herself stumble over her own foot as she fought to keep her composure, turning towards the other doors to get away.</p>
<p>And saw Link.</p>
<p>He was holding out his denim jacket, left in a simple white tee shirt and black pants.</p>
<p>“Mr. Hunter, you cannot give that to her.”</p>
<p>Link shrugged. “It’s hers. She let me borrow it.”</p>
<p>Zelda hesitantly took the jacket from him. Mrs. Joy was looking at her expectantly as she pulled her arms through the sleeves. It most assuredly did <em>not </em>fit her, not even close. Link was too muscular, and she was too lithe. It didn’t fool Mrs. Joy, but Zelda pulled it against her and crossed her arms, finding the strength to muster a slightly triumphant smile, even despite the red tears still stinging at her eyes, threatening to fall.</p>
<p>“Are we all set? She and I have to study for a quiz before class,” Link lied, stepping just slightly closer to Zelda.</p>
<p>“Fine,” Mrs. Joy muttered, unable to find anything else to penalize her for. “Don’t let me see you take that off today or it’s another detention.”</p>
<p>Nodding, Zelda followed Link past a set of doors and into the stairwell.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she muttered, starting to peel the jacket off before remembering and making a face. “Do you mind if I borrow this today?”</p>
<p>“If I minded, I wouldn’t have given it to you.”</p>
<p>His eyebrow cocked up at her and she nodded. “Right.”</p>
<p>It smelled overwhelmingly like Link: cigarette smoke, aftershave, and soap.</p>
<p>“Don’t tell anyone it’s mine. Just say you got it at a thrift shop, which isn’t a lie.”</p>
<p>“Why?” she giggled, looking fully at him. “You don’t want to lose your bad-boy persona? Don’t want people to know you’re actually decent and can help a girl out of a detention?”</p>
<p>He chuckled, shoving his hands into his pockets, almost bashful. The motion pushed his short sleeve up a bit, and Zelda could see a hint of a hidden tattoo high on his arm, perhaps onto his shoulder or his back.</p>
<p>“No,” he said, his tone sincere and genuine. “But people will think bad of <em>you</em> if they think you’re hanging around me. I’m not the most well-liked convict at this school. You don’t want to deal with that association, trust me.”</p>
<p>“Are you really? A convict?” she dared to ask. “Or are people just spreading rumors?”</p>
<p>“I am,” he said easily. “I went to juvie and all.”</p>
<p>“What, did you kill someone?” She smiled, laughing. She wasn’t going to <em>really </em>pry into this strange boy’s life, especially not when he’d just bailed her out.</p>
<p>He couldn’t help when his smirk grew. No one ever joked… no one ever…</p>
<p>“Yes,” he snorted. “Obviously.”</p>
<p>When silence fell between them, as he clearly didn’t want to answer and she respected that probably wasn’t his favorite story either, she took a step back. “Well, thank you. I’ll get it back to you after school.”</p>
<p>“Wait!” he said, grabbing her hand as she turned. He took a step back and held his hands out apologetically. “Sorry, I meant to grab your sleeve. My sleeve.”</p>
<p>Zelda found herself smiling at him. His nerves were endearing.</p>
<p>“All my shit is in the pockets. Can I just…?”</p>
<p>He held out his hand, but Zelda hesitated.</p>
<p>“I’m not going to pull out, I don't know, a ton of condoms or something, am I?”</p>
<p>That had Link genuinely cackling. “What? No. What the hell you think I do here all day?”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t put it past some other people in our class to have such high hopes for their day,” she said hurriedly. “And I don’t really know you. I don't know what's in your pocket.”</p>
<p>“Groose. Groose would, wouldn't he?” Link nodded, sensing immediately who she was referring to.</p>
<p>“Absolutely,” she groaned. But she reached into the pocket and grabbed a box, handing it to Link. Cigarettes. She went back in and found the lighter. On the other side, she followed the headphone wire, but when she pulled it out, she couldn’t manage to hide her surprise.</p>
<p>“An iPod? You still use one of those?”</p>
<p>He waited for her to put it in his hand. “It’s my pride and joy,” he chuckled, pulling the wire through the tighter fabric of his tee shirt. It wasn’t hidden well, and the earbuds were beyond obvious. “There’s no way I’m going to get away with this today.”</p>
<p>“Sorry.”</p>
<p>“Don’t be,” he muttered, tucking it into his back pocket. “I can live one day without wearing headphones in class.”</p>
<p>“You get more songs on a phone, you know.”</p>
<p>He nodded, taking considerable effort to fight back a grin as he debated something before speaking. “Not with my phone.”</p>
<p>Zelda didn’t quite know how to respond to that. “Okay. Well, I can give this to you in the lot after school. Do you know which car is mine?”</p>
<p>“I do, but I have to book it out of here right at the bell to make it to work on time. Mind if I just grab it in the morning?”</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p> “Alright,” he said, swinging his backpack onto his shoulders. “Remember: thrift shop.”</p>
<p>“Thank you again, Link. Really.”</p>
<p>He nodded, tapping the doorframe. “She’s a bitch, especially to you. I’ll sign that petition you were getting started on last year.”</p>
<p>“I’m surprised you heard my speech and didn’t have your headphones in,” she joked, not even realizing that she’d sunk her hands into his pockets.</p>
<p>But he did, his eyes slowly making their way from her hands to her eyes. “Well, you’re worth listening to.” And with a final crooked grin, he tapped the wall once more and headed out into the hallway without another word.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m just saying that I’m concerned.”</p>
<p>Zelda tapped her fingers against the table as she listened to her mother. Arina Harkinian was a <em>queen</em> of multitasking. In the midst of her conversation with her daughter, she had her phone in one hand, texting a client, and was making dinner with the other.</p>
<p>“I’m not smoking, Mom.”</p>
<p>“You smell like you are.”</p>
<p>Zelda shook her head and continued to type out her essay on the history of the myth of the Goddess’s Creation of Hyrule. She’d taken Link’s jacket off a while ago, but apparently the scent of tobacco had lingered on her. As soon as her mother pointed it out the first time, she’d gone to cover it up with body spray.</p>
<p>“Would you tell me if you were?”</p>
<p>Stopping again, Zelda turned. “Do you <em>actually</em> want me to let you know?”</p>
<p>Her mother thought for a moment. “Honestly, probably not something I’d want to find out. But yes, tell me.”</p>
<p>“So you can stage an intervention.”</p>
<p>“Is it Revali? Is he the one smoking around you?”</p>
<p>“Please, mom, I’m just trying to work on this essay.”</p>
<p>Arina made a dismissive noise, returning to the simmering food on the stove. “At least it’s not alcohol.”</p>
<p>Slamming her hands down on her keys, Zelda let out a long groan. “Mom. <em>You</em> have given me wine. How can alcohol actually be your worst-case scenario? I’m not over here drinking alcohol, and I don’t smoke. I’m not on drugs or pregnant either, just in case you were going to ask about those too.”</p>
<p>“I wasn’t, but thank you for setting my mind at ease. Remember, your grandmother was an alcoholic, so you’re at a higher risk of addiction. Don’t do drugs either,” Arina said, taking her things off the stove and setting them onto hotplates.</p>
<p>Zelda snorted. “Gods. Okay, I won’t do drugs.”</p>
<p>“Come grab food. Finish that later. I have to go back to the office. I won’t be home until after dad leaves, so be safe, okay? Have a good rehearsal, darling.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Zelda said, closing her laptop and pushing it aside. “Thanks for making dinner too. Have fun at work.”</p>
<p>Arina made a face but smiled and blew a kiss before grabbing her keys and heading out the door, leaving Zelda alone again. It was something Zelda was used to. Her mother didn’t often cook before leaving for her meetings, so it was a welcome surprise. She was usually too busy working at the office or in their study. It was the biggest downside of having a high-up job at Hyrule’s most prestigious advertising agency: she was always on call for meetings all over the world. Her partners were in Holdrum, the other side of the world, and she had to go to the office late after hours as well just for meetings and meeting harsh schedule constraints. Her father worked at the same company, a different department, but the same job title as her mother. It meant they were both often gone and at work.</p>
<p>While her parents both said it was necessary for them to maintain their upper-class lifestyle, Zelda just considered the biggest benefit from their jobs to be that she’d developed a fair skill in cooking, despite it being too time-consuming for her liking.</p>
<p>So, Zelda played the soundtrack to the theater show, and hummed as she ate her meal, taking in the words to the song like they were the drink with her food. She needed to remember the lyrics. She had to be ready.</p>
<p>When she’d finished, she tossed her things into the dish washer and grabbed her keys to head to rehearsal. When she arrived and parked, she saw five cars—and no motorcycle. For once, she wasn’t early, and hurried inside to the choir room where they learned their music.</p>
<p>The singing coach, Mr. Daruk, Darunia’s uncle, clapped his hands together and began to hand out sheet music to a song she’d sing with Revali, who’d been cast as the lead, and Ruto, who’d gotten the other leading female role. Mr. Ezlo, the director, shuffled papers around, getting himself organized.</p>
<p>For an hour and a half, they rehearsed, pleased with how the song was sounding. But then, Mr. Daruk’s keyboard sputtered, and the note drowned out into nothingness. He tapped the piano keys fruitlessly as no sound came on. Even Mr. Ezlo couldn’t get it. And for the next ten minutes, he tried to fix it in every way possible before giving up and calling rehearsal early.</p>
<p>Zelda gathered her things and started to follow everyone outside, but stopped when she felt something tingling the senses at the back of her neck and she turned.</p>
<p>“Zelda?” Mr. Daruk called as the others brushed past him to leave.</p>
<p>“I have to run to the bathroom. You don’t have to wait.”</p>
<p>He nodded and waved at her before heading to his own car.</p>
<p>“The bathroom?” a voice chuckled. “I’m a bathroom run now?”</p>
<p>Link was leaning on a broom, staring at her with extremely hooded—and honestly exhausted—eyes. He was still in the white tee-shirt and black pants from the school day, though Zelda had opted for yoga pants and a band tee. His gaze darted to the band and then back up at her eyes.</p>
<p>“That your kind of music? The Indigo-Go’s?”</p>
<p>“I saw them in concert a few months ago.”</p>
<p>“I have their live carnival performance on my ancient ass iPod.”</p>
<p>Zelda smiled, and Link found himself returning it.</p>
<p>“I didn’t see your bike. I didn’t think you’d be here tonight.”</p>
<p>“Why, were you looking for me, Zelda?” The way he said her name had her chest tightening.</p>
<p>Zelda didn’t even notice it, but she <em>had</em> been looking for him. Her voice caught in her throat and she made a vague noise.</p>
<p>It had Link chuckling as he put the broom into the closet. “It broke down on my way home from work. I got a ride. I didn’t think you guys would leave so early tonight.”</p>
<p>She managed to get some air in her brain, responding the only way she knew how. “Why, do you know <em>my</em> schedule, Link?”</p>
<p>That had him biting his lip, fighting back a boyish grin as his head bobbed in defeat. “I deserved that.”</p>
<p>“The keyboard broke. Can’t play, can’t sing.”</p>
<p>Link headed to the door, peeking inside at the keyboard before looking at Zelda, one hand tightly gripping the broom and the other tucked deep into his pocket, making himself almost appear small. “I could hear you. You’re a fucking good singer. I didn’t know.”</p>
<p>She was glad that he was occupied with something, going back to the closet to ditch the broom and returning with a box. Her face had gone beet red in the matter of a minute around him. But she found her voice when Link opened the door to the dark music room and went over to the keyboard, flipping it on and tapping the soundless keys.</p>
<p>“I’m pretty sure we shouldn’t be in here,” she said, looking around the room like they might find a ghost, despite <em>just</em> being inside.</p>
<p>“I’m just going to do something really quick. I fix about eight of these a month. Give me your phone.”</p>
<p>She furrowed her brows. “What?”</p>
<p>“Phone. I need a light.”</p>
<p>“Is your phone broken too?” she asked as she fished in her bag for hers.</p>
<p>He snorted and dug something out of his pocket, tossing it up to her. She caught it and balked. “Oh. So, you’re… eclectic?” She eyed his ancient flip phone with interest, not realizing they were even <em>sold</em> anymore. It certainly wasn’t her dual lens HD camera-phone with unlimited talk, text, internet and over a hundred gigs in local storage. It was… a flip phone.</p>
<p>Link let out a hearty laugh as he lowered himself to the ground and ducked uncomfortably under the keyboard, pulling a screwdriver out of the box, feeling at the tip in the darkness to see if he’d grabbed the right one. “That’s the excuse I will forever give everyone who ever asks me ever again. I’m just eclectic. Light?” he asked with his hand out.</p>
<p>“Oh, right,” she muttered, sitting beside him and turning her light on.</p>
<p>Distracted by her proximity, Link lowered his hand and looked her over until she accidently, <em>viciously</em> blinded him with her phone’s light. He groaned before turning his focused attention to his work, blinking away spots in his vision.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” she chuckled. “Gods, I have so many questions right now,” Zelda muttered, glancing into the hallway to be sure that she didn’t see the looing shadow of Mr. Wright in the hallway.</p>
<p>“Ask away,” he muffled, the screwdriver in his mouth as he dropped several screws onto his chest and pried a panel open.</p>
<p>“First off,” she said, diving in, “Mr. Wright is going to find us when he locks up, isn’t he?”</p>
<p>Link took the screwdriver from his mouth and began working again. “He avoids this area until you’re done with rehearsals. We should be good for a bit. But feel free to go if you’re freaked out. I won’t blame you or anything.”</p>
<p>“No, I’m fine,” she said, adjusting her grip on her phone and sliding off her leg to get comfortable beside him. “Why do you fix eight keyboards a month, and how do you know what you’re doing?”</p>
<p>His lips twitched up. “It’s my job. I work in a repair shop. Two, actually: auto and electronic. They’re owned by the same guy, and I know what I’m doing, so he hired me at my other job when I fixed his radio.”</p>
<p>“You have two jobs?” she asked.</p>
<p>“Three, actually. Well, four if you count this fucking custodian hell I’m in right now. Five if you count school as an unpaid job.”</p>
<p>Her eyes bugged out. “What? Why do you have so many jobs?”</p>
<p>He let his eyes rest on hers for a moment, and a smile pulled at his lips from her obliviousness. She was so sincerely confused that he found it mildly endearing, like she’d been too innocent to even consider that someone <em>needed </em>three jobs just to pay all the bills. Gods, he wanted to look at her like the rich pricks who used to haunt him, but her eyes were just so wide and so genuine and… concerned. “Why do most people work, <em>Princess</em>? I need money.”</p>
<p>She scoffed at his mocking nickname but was unwilling to dig that hole any further. It had been a stupid question. She didn’t know anyone who worked two jobs for <em>fun</em>, let alone three. “What do you do then?”</p>
<p>He couldn’t stop himself from laughing again as he tapped the keyboard. “What do you think?”</p>
<p>“Right.” Zelda rolled her eyes chastising herself for asking the two stupidest questions back-to-back. Realizing she still had his phone in her hand, she distracted herself with a look at the front screen, only enough room to display 8:38pm in bright blue.</p>
<p>He watched her, seeing some red on her face with the lights that illuminated her features. “I fix electronics, I work in an auto shop, and I’m a phone sex operator.”</p>
<p>“<em>What</em>?” she balked, nearly dropping his phone as she turned to him, wide-eyed.</p>
<p>He belly-laughed, staring up at her mortified expression. It was a while before he could bring himself to speak again. “You almost looked excited there, Princess.”</p>
<p>She couldn’t even bring herself to ask him to stop with the name. “Are you serious?”</p>
<p>“You really did, yes.”</p>
<p>“Link!”</p>
<p>He bit his cheek and tapped her leg with the screwdriver. “Keep the light up.” She adjusted her wrist and stared at him curiously.</p>
<p>“No, I’m not, though I might actually make more money that way. I work the desk at a privately owned 24hour gym near my house. I was fucking shocked they actually gave me the job. Most people turned me down when they saw I had a record, so I work the morning shift before school because no one else wants it. Honestly, they’re a bit crooked themselves, so I think they were okay with me for that reason. The other shops I work at are owned by someone I know, so he was more willing to give me a shot.” The screwdriver went back into his mouth and he shook his hand out before working on something inside the keyboard out of Zelda’s view. He noticed her uncomfortable silence. “You’ve never asked me what happened,” he muttered, muffled by the screwdriver.</p>
<p>She knew what he meant. “It’s not my business.”</p>
<p>“You don’t want to know if you’re sitting with a murderer?”</p>
<p>“You already admitted that was your crime,” she joked.</p>
<p>He let out a relieved breath, a tightness in his chest releasing when he realized she was still willing to joke with him even after he’d accidently brought up his difficulties finding a job. “Do you want to know?”</p>
<p>She licked her dry lips and adjusted herself lower, feeling her back ache from being scrunched up. “It doesn’t matter if I want to know, does it? It matters if you want to share.”</p>
<p>He smiled ruefully this time, picking at something internal in the keyboard. “I don’t want to scare you off.”</p>
<p>Zelda ran a hand through her hair anxiously. Could it be <em>that</em> bad? “You’d actually care if I freaked out?”</p>
<p>“You’re not so bad to talk to, you know.”</p>
<p>“You’re surprisingly not bad to talk to yourself.”</p>
<p>He felt his face heat up as he grabbed a screw off his chest and started re-assembling his work. “If you ever want to ask, you can. I’ll answer you with the truth, you know.”</p>
<p>She adjusted again, this time, accidently brushing his leg. “Sorry,” she said hastily, scooting away as they both twitched from the contact. “I don’t need to know. You can tell me when you’re ready. Or never. I won’t think differently of you.”</p>
<p>“Because you already have a low opinion of me?” he chuckled, though it was empty.</p>
<p>“I don’t.”</p>
<p>“Your friends do.”</p>
<p>“They don’t know you.”</p>
<p>Link finished screwing the last one in and turned to her. “You don’t either.”</p>
<p>He rolled out from under the keyboard and flipped it on, running his fingers up the keys. The notes echoed out, a simple but efficient run of a few scales.</p>
<p>“You fixed it! And you play?”</p>
<p>He flipped the switch off and grabbed the box off the ground along with his phone from beside Zelda, tucking the box under his arm as she followed him out of the classroom. “I told you I could fix it. And yes, I play guitar, but my friend has a keyboard I enjoy dabbling in. I’m not in a band, before you ask.”</p>
<p>“Wow. I’m impressed. You’re like some multi-talented, multi-tasking powerhouse.”</p>
<p>He locked the closet door and followed her outside the school. “Is that a multi-compliment?”</p>
<p>“You just admitted to me you have five hundred jobs that you balance with school, and you have these skill sets and play guitar. Do you fly too?”</p>
<p>She took a few steps down before turning, noticing that he was sitting on a wide, stone railing. “I fly, Princess.”</p>
<p>She made a face and crossed her arms, determined not to let it show that the name made her react. And surprising even herself, the reaction wasn’t <em>bad</em>. “Do you need a ride home?”</p>
<p>His eyes hardened, but then softened just as quickly. She wondered why.</p>
<p>“No, my ride is coming soon. But thank you. I’m going to go home and work on my bike, make sure this doesn’t happen again.”</p>
<p>“Don’t you work in the morning?”</p>
<p>“I have a full six and a half hours until I have to be there.”</p>
<p>Quickly ticking off the time in her head, her eyes widened. “Link! You work at 3am? Isn’t that illegal?”</p>
<p>“Yes. Haven’t you heard though? I’m a criminal. I do illegal things. I gave him my fake ID, which is just a year off, so my boss thinks I’m already 18. Never asked for a birth certificate or anything, just said my ID was good enough, so I took the shift when they said they needed someone. I just tell him I stayed back a grade, which isn’t a lie.”</p>
<p>“You stayed back?”</p>
<p>“Stayed back in 8<sup>th</sup> grade. Jail makes it kind of hard to study, you know?”</p>
<p>“How are you in our class then?”</p>
<p>He chuckled, shaking his head, amused. “I, um, I skipped kindergarten, so I evened out after a while.”</p>
<p>“Gods, I’m not even surprised,” she laughed, joining in. “Well, please, let me give you a ride so you can go to sleep before your totally illegal job.”</p>
<p>“What made you such a good person?” he asked with a grin. But he waved her off. “Go. I’m fine. I’ll see you in the parking lot bright and early for my jacket back.”</p>
<p>“I have it now, if you want it. And thank you again.”</p>
<p>He just shook his head, weariness weighing his actions down. “Nah, I’ll see you tomorrow, Princess.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ever tell yourself you’re going to keep chapters short and not to post a new chapter daily ever again… and then completely ignore yourself and do it all anyway because you apparently have an addiction to longer chapters and daily posts? Or is that just me lol?</p>
<p>Also, check out this BEAUTIFUL, GORGEOUS, AMAZING art EnduraCarrotChips did for a scene in this chapter!! The original post got deleted, but my reblog still has the art. I'm still fairly new to Tumblr so I don't understand, but it the original link ever goes back, I'll replace this.<br/>https://deiliamedlini.tumblr.com/post/630910383092383744/i-am-obsessed</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda remained in her car in the parking lot, listening to music as she waited for Link.</p>
<p>On the passenger seat of her car was Link’s jacket, and she eyed it carefully before leaning her head back and trying to keep her thoughts focused on the music, not on <em>him</em>. It was the Indigo-Go’s new album, and she had it playing through her car’s Bluetooth. It was maybe the twelfth time she’d listened to the whole thing, and it only came out a few days ago.</p>
<p>But even her favorite band couldn’t drown out the unmistakable sound of a motorcycle pulling up to the space beside her.</p>
<p>She cursed herself and her teenage hormones, but she was near entranced by him. He was in a tight white uniform button-up that hugged him <em>way</em> too well with the sleeves rolled slightly, and he pulled off his helmet, shaking out his shaggy, dirty blonde hair as he did. Cutting off the engine, he hooked his helmet to his backpack and leaned against her open window.</p>
<p>She took in his eyes as he looked at her. They were practically red, and he was displaying every sign of exhaustion known to man. She was surprised he could walk, let alone drive. “You look terrible. You <em>actually</em> fixed your bike instead of sleeping?”</p>
<p>He smirked, trying to hide his surprise for her genuine concern over him. “I needed to <em>actually</em> get to work and school, so the bike was pretty important.”</p>
<p>“Do you drink coffee?”</p>
<p>He made a face, surprised by the topic shift. “Yes?”</p>
<p>“Get in. I’ll buy you a coffee. We’re early anyway.”</p>
<p>He tapped the side of her car, making a face. “You could get caught with me.”</p>
<p>“You’re not the plague, Link. Get in.”</p>
<p>“You’ll lose your favorite parking spot.”</p>
<p>She scoffed. “Either get in, or say no. And… wait… <em>my</em> parking spot?”</p>
<p>He opened the door and slid in, moving his jacket off to the side. “You can’t deny that this is <em>your</em> spot. You park in it every day.”</p>
<p>“Seatbelt. I’m just surprised you noticed.” she said, backing out.</p>
<p><em>Me too</em>, he thought to himself as he clicked it on.</p>
<p>“So,” Zelda said, glancing at him as she pulled out of the school towards the closest coffee shop, “What’s the story with your motorcycle?”</p>
<p>“Ironically, it was the immobilizer that was busted.”</p>
<p>“I… don’t know what that means, but I meant why a bike not a car?”</p>
<p>“Oh.” He stared out the window for a moment before turning back to her. “My best friend and I built it years ago out of scrap from a junkyard we used to hang around in. He and his dad taught me everything. I… I’m the one who ended up with it permanently.”</p>
<p>She turned into the driveway line and turned to him while they waited. “Someone from school?”</p>
<p>He shook his head, looking away from her sadly. “No.”</p>
<p>When she realized he wasn’t planning on elaborating, and that he was leaving a few personal chunks of the story out, she let it go. “Oh. Okay.” Which was all fine since they’d pulled up to the speaker.</p>
<p>“Hi welcome to Hyrule Energized, would you like to try our Goron Donuts?”</p>
<p>“No thank you,” Zelda said sweetly. “I’m going to get a medium iced coffee with soymilk and two sugars, please. And…”</p>
<p>She gestured to Link, who was making a face at her order. She hit his arm, gesturing for him to speak. Leaning over the cupholder and ending up just a hair away from her ear, Link cleared his throat. “A small hot coffee, black.”</p>
<p>Zelda’s mouth hung open, appalled. “Ew,” she muttered.</p>
<p>He grinned, his eyes dropping to her surprised mouth for a moment “Shut up. Yours is gross too.”</p>
<p>“Anything else?”</p>
<p>Zelda looked at Link, but he shook his head. “Nope,” she called. “We’re good.”</p>
<p>“That’ll be $4. 75. Drive on up.”</p>
<p>Following the instructions, Zelda let her car roll up to the one in front of her. “You basically drink the coffee beans right out of the ground. That’s awful.”</p>
<p>“To you.”</p>
<p>They finally made it to the window, and Zelda reached for the coffees. When she went to put them down, she saw Link’s arm across her face, handing the employee a $5. “Keep the change.”</p>
<p>“Thanks. Have a good one.”</p>
<p>Zelda turned to him and made a face. “I told you that I’d buy <em>you </em>a coffee.”</p>
<p>“Too slow, Princess. You’re holding up the line.”</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes and drove the short ride back to school, sipping her drink. “Next time, I <em>am</em> buying, Link.”</p>
<p>“Next time?” he asked, not without a chuckle. But his face sobered. “If your friends find out, you’re going to be blacklisted.”</p>
<p>“They wouldn’t do that,” she said quickly, but she knew how much most people at school either hated or feared Link based on reputation alone. If they thought she was hanging out with Link, they’d probably stage an intervention or think she’d joined a cult of his. “Well… maybe they might not react well, but they wouldn’t shut me out.”</p>
<p>“Then they’re better than I’d give them credit for.”</p>
<p>She pulled into the spot on the other side of his motorcycle—as her spot had been taken—and turned off the car. “They’re not as bad as they seem. They don’t know you.”</p>
<p>“You’ve said that before,” Link said, picking up his jacket from the floor of her car and opened the door. “Thanks for the coffee, Zelda. I’ll see you in chem.”</p>
<p>“Thank <em>you</em> for the coffee,” she called back, watching him wave to her as he walked towards the school</p>
<p>Though she was <em>not</em> willing to admit anything drastic to herself, she <em>was</em> willing to admit that he was attractive and that she’d missed out on three years of lusting after him.</p>
<p>But he was turning out to be more than <em>just </em>that. He was <em>fun </em>and she <em>liked</em> being around him so much so that she’d broken into a classroom with him just to keep talking to him when she knew she should have stayed out in the hall to avoid being caught.  </p>
<p>She plopped her head down against the steering wheel. “Ugh,” she groaned before grabbing her bag from the back seat and heading to sit with Makeela in the cafeteria before school began.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“And after the second Great War of Hyrule, the Hero disappeared,” Mr. Auru said with a dramatic gesture. “So, that’s your assignment. Using historical facts to support your opinion, tell me where you think the Hero went. Do you think he left Hyrule? Do you think he simply faded into obscurity? Four pages, double spaced, Times New Hylian or Goddess help me I will not read your paper. It’s due at the beginning of class a week from today. Write that down. Though I’m sure most of you won’t remember until the night before it’s due anyway.”</p>
<p>And just in time, the bell for first lunch rang.</p>
<p>“Zelda!” he called before she could go. She waved Makeela on to lunch and all but skipped up to Mr. Auru’s desk. He smiled kindly. “How are you doing? I hear you’ve been having… problems with Mrs. Joy.”</p>
<p>“You’ve heard?”</p>
<p>“It’s not exactly a secret when your classmates see it happen. And the teacher’s lounge has more gossip than your cafeteria. We hear everything.”</p>
<p>“Right,” she muttered, thinking of the cafeteria. “I did everything she said to fix, so we’ll see how it goes.”</p>
<p>Mr. Auru stood up and clapped her shoulder before grabbing his coffee mug. “If it becomes something you can’t handle, come to me or go to your guidance counselor. We’re here to help you, even against the Vice Principal. I only know what I hear. You know what you feel. Let us know, okay?”</p>
<p>She nodded, genuinely feeling a bit teary. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>“Good. Now get out so I can go eat.”</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes, waving goodbye, and headed to her locker, her heart sinking when she saw Groose waiting there for her.</p>
<p>“Yes?” she asked before he could linger creepily.</p>
<p>“Zelda, homecoming is coming up, and—”</p>
<p>“No,” Zelda said, winding the lock on her locker until it swung open. His hand was preventing it from opening too far though. “Move your arm please.”</p>
<p>“Hear me out and I will.”</p>
<p>Scoffing, she crossed her arms and hugged her books against her chest, waiting.</p>
<p>“Listen, I’ve liked you for a long time, and you know—”</p>
<p>She began to tune him out when she noticed Link watching her and Groose. To anyone else, he was fiddling with his headphones, but his eyes were clearly on her. He knew she hated Groose. <em>“You okay? Need me to get scare him off?” </em>he signed to her.</p>
<p>Zelda smiled and shook her head slightly.</p>
<p>“I know, right?” Groose said, misinterpreting her smile.</p>
<p>She made a face at Link before turning her attention back to Groose. “Listen, I just don’t want to go with you, Groose. I’m sorry to let you down so bluntly, but no. Now please, let me into my locker.”</p>
<p>Groose slammed the door with a force that echoed through the hall and had every head turning towards them. It bounced off the side of her backpack and caught the whole thing inside. She flinched and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them while letting out a breath.</p>
<p>Link was beside her, taking the books from her hand. “It’s stuck,” he pointed out, gesturing to her bag.</p>
<p>She groaned and slipped out of the shoulder straps. Link grabbed one so it wouldn’t crash to the ground when she got her locker open, and she started putting her code back in, spinning the lock wildly.</p>
<p>“What happened?” Revali asked, hurrying up to her. His eyes flicked suspiciously at Link. “What did you do?”</p>
<p>Zelda waved her hand aimlessly. “It wasn’t him. He’s helping me. It was Groose.”</p>
<p>She pulled fruitlessly at the handle before spinning the combo again.</p>
<p>“What did he do though?”</p>
<p>She tugged at it again. “He asked me to homecoming, and I said no. Try this for me?”</p>
<p>Revali pulled at the handle and tried shimmying it a few times before spinning her combo. He prided himself on being able to break into any of his friend’s lockers. “Go with me, as friends. You won’t have to put up with him bothering you if you have me as an excuse.”</p>
<p>Zelda’s eyes flickered over to Link, and he watched her with an expression she couldn’t exactly place. It was <em>almost</em> disappointment.</p>
<p>“Sure. We were all probably going to go together anyway.”</p>
<p>“Darunia is asking Ruto, so maybe no.” He dropped his hands. “You might need Mr. Wright. I can’t get it.”</p>
<p>“Let me,” Link said, much to Revali’s annoyance. Zelda didn’t mind. She took Link’s place holding the backpack and books, and he waited for Revali to step aside.</p>
<p>Link pulled the locker like normal to test it, earning an amused snicker from Revali off to his side. But he pushed his shoulder and leg into the locker and pulled up twice with sharp jabs. On the third, the door opened, freeing her bag.</p>
<p>Zelda fought back an impressed smile and an amused laugh over Revali’s blatant bitterness. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>“Mhmm,” he muttered, already backing up towards his open locker. “Revali. Zelda,” he said by way of goodbye, grabbing several things from his locker until she and Revali walked towards the cafeteria. It was then that he let out a deep breath.</p>
<p>“I saw that. You have a crush,” a girl said, popping up beside him.</p>
<p>He watched Zelda disappear before turning to the girl leaning next to him. “She’s cute. I’ll admit that much.”</p>
<p>“Have you talked to her?”</p>
<p>Link rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Ilia.”</p>
<p>“Have you?”</p>
<p>“Yes. Just… a couple of times. Nothing crazy.”</p>
<p>“Oh Goddess, Link! You’re blushing!” Ilia cooed. “My little baby is growing up!” She pinched his cheek playfully.</p>
<p>He pushed her hands off of him and closed his locker. “I said she’s hot. Not that I want to date her. Calm down.”</p>
<p>“If you say it, you’re thinking it! You want to date her. Ask her to homecoming! I’ll even be your wall as you two dirty-dance in the corner.” She made an un-successful attempt at a sexy dance move and laughed, unable to take herself seriously.</p>
<p>Link watched his friend with highly judgmental eyes, laughing at her. “She’s going with someone. And we’re going together, aren’t we?”</p>
<p>Ilia gasped. “How do you know she is? Did you ask her already? Drop me. I don’t need you.”</p>
<p>He wrapped his arm around her neck. “You’re my girl, Ilia. I’m not dropping you. And no, I didn’t ask her. Just like you didn’t ask Ralis.”</p>
<p>“Oh, rude,” she scoffed, leaning into him as they headed to eat their lunch outside, determined <em>not</em> to think about anyone else.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Zelda,” Makeela muttered as they sat together in their math class the next day. “How can you even see that thing?”</p><p>Sighing, Zelda glanced down at her shattered screen. When Groose had caught her backpack in her locker—unbeknownst to her at the time—her phone had gotten smashed, leaving a barely readable, shattered screen. Now, as she attempted to use it as a calculator, she found that math was much harder than she remembered</p><p>“I’m going to get it fixed after class.”</p><p>“It’s going to take forever if you send it out,” Makeela said, running her finger lightly across the horrible mess.</p><p>Zelda murmured. “There’s a place nearby that costs a bit more, but it’s all fixed there. I’m going to check it out. If they suck, then it looks like I’ll be using my laptop as my phone replacement for a while. You’ll have to get used to not hearing from me all day.”</p><p>“Sorry,” Makeela sighed, glancing at the clock. It was the last period, and nearly time for the bell. “Want me to come with you?”</p><p>Zelda almost said yes, but she knew Makeela had to get to work about an hour after school ended, and she didn’t want to make her rush around. “It’s okay. Thanks though.”</p><p>And when the bell finally rang, Zelda breathed out a long sigh and grabbed her things before hurrying to her locker.</p><p>“So,” Revali said, appearing behind her. “The dance. We matching colors or anything? And do you know if we’re all riding together, or if I’m picking you up this year?”</p><p>Last year, she’d gone to homecoming and prom with Revali and their friends, but she’d gone to the Winter dance with her then-boyfriend, Ravio.</p><p>“I don’t know. I’d ask Ruto if I were you. She’s going to be the one on top of all that. And we can match colors if you really want. It’s just homecoming though. You don’t have to.”</p><p>“Just let me know what color your dress is and I’ll let you know if I look good in it.”</p><p>She snorted and pulled her backpack from her locker, stuffing a few textbooks in it. “Okay. I’ll let you know.”</p><p>“Are you at rehearsal tonight?”</p><p>She followed him as they headed to the entrance. “Yep. But I have the rest of the week free. Which is great, because I’ve been slacking on a few things.”</p><p>“Like your proposal.” He grinned at her and rested an arm on her shoulder. “Please get that done. I’m technically your boss.”</p><p>Zelda groaned, glancing behind her at Mrs. Joy’s office. “I hate her, and I hate our uniforms.”</p><p>“But you’re doing something to change it, so get the proposal in to me so I can bring it to the next meeting.”</p><p>“Yes, Mr. President,” she said with a dramatic salute and a laugh as she leaned on the door. “I’ll see you tonight.”</p><p>“See you later.”</p><p>Zelda made her way to her car, cursing to herself when she half expected to see Link’s bike in his spot. She knew he rushed out of the building to get to work, so he wouldn’t be there. And the fact that she knew <em>that</em> made her think that she might need to admit to herself that she maybe had a little crush on him. Maybe.</p><p>Pulling off her sweater-vest, she was left rolling up the sleeves of her button-down, taking off the top few buttons to let some air from the cranked AC hit her. She had a light blue tank top underneath and—unlike when Mrs. Joy was around—she didn’t feel nearly as self-conscious about how she looked.</p><p>She drove to her coffee shop, almost surprised that they didn’t just recognize her car from how often she got an iced coffee from them. And she knew that if Mr. Ezlo ever caught her drinking coffee before rehearsal, he’d all but demand she switch to tea until the show was over.</p><p>The drive to the repair store was a little erratic, taking several wrong turns without the screen guidance of the GPS in her phone, but eventually she found it. It was attached to two other stores and easy to miss.</p><p>Grabbing her wristlet with her phone, license and the credit card her mother had lent her inside, she turned off her car and attached the keys to the small strap before heading in, a bell on the door announcing her presence.</p><p>“Wow,” she muttered to herself, seeing just how many electronics lined the walls of the building, pieces and parts and built computers and screws and tools. It wasn’t just a repair shop, apparently. She even saw a few cute phone cases.</p><p>“Can I help you?” an older man said, wiping his hands on a rag as he came from another room.</p><p>She held up her phone. “Yeah, I destroyed my screen. Is that something you guys could fix here?”</p><p>The man gave it a once-over and nodded. “Yep. Hang on.” He went back into the other room, but his voice rang out, if muffled by distance. “Hey! Broken phone! Have one of you get in the shop!”</p><p>She heard the sound of music turning down and footsteps that drew near. There was the sound of Velcro peeling off and then a soft thump as an object hit something, like a chair. She craned her head to see what was in the other room, but her view was suddenly blocked.</p><p>And damned if she didn’t let out an audible gasp when she saw who had moved to block it.</p><p>“Sorry, I’ll be right with—” Link looked up and chuckled, slowly pulling off a baseball cap. “So, you’re stalking me then, Princess?”</p><p>He tossed it around the corner of the room he’d come from, rustling his flat hat-hair, and unsticking some pieces that had been matted down with sweat.</p><p>She almost couldn’t answer him, finding herself distracted by his appearance in a way she <em>certainly</em> hadn’t expected. He wore a pair of dark blue coveralls with his name on a white patch and the company stitched in. They were covered in oil and paint, and she could even see a little black smidge on his neck. And watching him fix his hair… she was <em>not</em> planning on this reaction to him. Ever. But there it was. And she liked how her chest constricted and she warmed up considerably. She was positive that she’d gone red, but hopefully, he’d read that as her embarrassed over showing up at his work, not over how he looked.</p><p>“I googled it last night for my phone,” she said as quickly. “I didn’t know you worked here.”</p><p>He grabbed a rag from his back pocket and wiped his hands, and she wanted to punch herself in the face because he was doing <em>nothing</em> and she was madly falling to pieces.</p><p>“You didn’t remember that I said I worked in an electronics shop?”</p><p>She stared at him open-mouthed. Maybe this had been subconscious?</p><p>“Then why are you dressed like a grease monkey?”</p><p>That got a genuine laugh from him, one that she had to bite her lip at just to stop herself from reacting visually.</p><p>He pointed through the door. She adjusted herself, leaning on the counter to see that the door led to a little room and a second door, which led to the attached auto shop and garage. “You’ve just found two of my jobs,” he mused.</p><p>“Hey!” the man from earlier said, coming up behind Link. He lowered his voice, but Zelda could still hear him. “Are you crazy? Get in there and get out of that shit. You don’t bring grease in here! It’s unprofessional.”</p><p>But Link spoke normally, gesturing to Zelda. “I know her. She doesn’t care.”</p><p>The man’s eyes slid up to her and patted Link’s shoulder. “Change anyway. Not only is it unprofessional, but if you know the lady, then it’s just rude.”</p><p>Link cleared his throat and gave her a half smile. “I’ll be right with you, Zelda.”</p><p>She really wanted to throw herself into a pond. A cold pond that maybe she could just temporarily drown in. Though he’d said it before, her name on his lips had her completely rapt.</p><p>The man leaned in the doorway, watching Zelda. She noticed his nametag said Gabe, and he crossed his arms as he sized her up.</p><p>“You go to school with Link or something?”</p><p>“I do. We share some classes.”</p><p>“You two friends?”</p><p>Zelda let out a small laugh, considering her answer. “Yes.”</p><p>“Interesting. He doesn’t bring many friends by.”</p><p>“Stop questioning her, Gabe,” Link snorted as he returned. He was out of his coveralls and in a grey shirt with the store logo on it, and cargo pants. He’d returned with the baseball hat on backwards and was drying his hands off with a paper towel before dropping it into an unseen bucket.he leaned casually across the counter in a way that exposed the taut muscles in his arms. “Let me see what you’ve got.”</p><p>She had to swallow and look at Gabe for a moment before setting her phone down on the counter.</p><p>He looked at the phone and winced at its tragic condition. “What happened to it?”</p><p>“Groose yesterday. I didn’t realize it until I got home.”</p><p>“Shit,” he muttered, turning it over in his hands. “I’d have fixed it for free for you if you’d asked.”</p><p>“I’d have paid you anyway.”</p><p>He let out a little chuckle and smirked at her, caught up in his own thoughts as he looked her over, but quickly got his gaze back to the phone. “Paid me in black coffees? I have one in the other room you know. It’s cold now, but that’s beside the point.”</p><p>“You good? I’m going back to Pip,” Gabe said, backing up.</p><p>“Yeah, we’re good,” Link said over his shoulder. “I can fix this in about forty-five minutes, give or take. We have spare screens here, so it’s just a pretty quick replacement.”</p><p>“That’s all? Forty minutes? I sent this out last time I broke it, and it took two weeks.”</p><p>He went around the counter into the shop and grabbed a set of keys off his belt before pulling a spare screen for her phone off a shelf and locking it back up. “You can come back in, like, an hour. It’ll be done.” He watched her expression change, and—he couldn’t be sure—but she looked like she was disappointed. “Or,” he said before he could stop himself. “You can stick around. I mean, I have to work on it, but you can hang in the back with me while I do.”</p><p>“I don’t want to bother you,” she said, despite finding herself wanting to say yes.</p><p>But she curiously noticed his expression soften from its perpetual snark as he looked at her seriously. “You never bother me.”</p><p>She felt herself warm up and he gestured for her to follow him into the back room. She almost felt like she was breaking the law or something by being in an employee’s room, but Link set her cracked phone on a little desk and turned on a lamp before grabbing a few tools off a shelf, and taking some tape off a long wall of tools. He pulled out a folding chair and gestured for Zelda to sit.</p><p>“Trust me, you don’t want to sit on that couch,” he warned before taking a seat beside her at the desk.</p><p>“Oh, thanks for the warning,” she said, making a face at it.</p><p>For a while, she just watched him work, silently looking on as he focused on his work to get the shattered screen off.</p><p>But he was the first to break the silence.</p><p>“Did you hear what happened in my art class today?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Link chuckled to himself. “We’ve involuntarily been recruited to help you build your set and paint and all that artsy shit.”</p><p>Zelda’s face lit up. “So you’re working on the play?”</p><p>“Apparently I am now.”</p><p>“Do you have time?”</p><p>He turned to her, freezing for a moment as he stared at her. His eyes trailed along her face, tracing her cheekbones and moving down her neck before he finally answered. “Friday is my last janitorial day, so I’ll just swap that job out for set building.”</p><p>Zelda snorted. “You sounded just like a theater nerd. I love it. Join me on the dark side.”</p><p>“You like theater nerds?” he asked with a smirk in her direction.</p><p>If she didn’t know any better, she’d say he was flirting with her. She felt her cheeks flush as she nodded. “Oh yeah. They’re my people. Birds of a feather, you know?”</p><p>“Is that why you and Revali are sort of dating?”</p><p>“Oh, I’m not…” she stopped herself, catching the bold curiosity in his voice, not accusation. She found herself grinning. “I’m single. I haven’t dated anyone since Rav last year.”</p><p>“Is that why he avoids you? Ended badly?”</p><p>It didn’t escape her notice that he’d just revealed he’d been paying more attention to her than she’d realized. “He ended it, but it was a mutual feeling. There was too much… conflict, I suppose. But what about you? Are you and Ilia together?”</p><p>This time, it was Link’s turn to hear her deeper question. “No. She’s one of my best friends. Beautiful person in every way, but sister material, not girlfriend. No, I date around sometimes. She’ll send me on blind dates with friends from her job whenever she feels bad for me, but I haven’t had a girlfriend in… three years? Two? Three? Something like that. It’s been a while.”</p><p>“From school?”</p><p>Link snorted. “Fuck no. Have you seen what my reputation does to people? It dragged Ilia down <em>bad</em>. It’s why I think you should avoid hanging out with me.”</p><p>“I like hanging out with you, so you should probably start getting over it.”</p><p>He’d stopped working and had to genuinely focus on keeping his hands moving. “Your loss, Princess,” he muttered, but she could see his genuine smile as he worked. “So, it was a girl I’d been friends with for a while, Saria. We broke up and it ruined our friendship, too.”</p><p>“I’m sorry to hear that.”</p><p>Zelda squinted at his phone that he’d left on the desk, the bizarre, elderly flip-phone. He caught her glance. “You can play with it, you know. There are games.”</p><p>She reached over to hold it and spun it around a few times in her hand. “If I open it, is your background going to be some porn star that I’ll feel really embarrassed about seeing?”</p><p>Snorting again, Link shook his head. “You’re safe. You’ll see an old picture of me with some friends.”</p><p>“I can’t believe this thing has a camera,” she muttered, flipping it open. Sure enough, there was a picture of Link, Ilia, and two unfamiliar boys all smiling together, though it was mostly obscured by the icons crowding up the small screen.</p><p>Zelda’s eye went straight for a little button with a camera on it and grinned as it the screen showed her lap. She hated to feel so easily entertained but hitting a physical button to get to the camera had her amused. She aimed it at Link’s focused expression and hit the center button, hearing a click.</p><p>His head swiveled over to her. “Really? A picture of me… on my phone?”</p><p>“Well you have mine, so yeah.”</p><p>She held the phone out, angling it at her and Link. She made a funny face and hit the button before checking it. She started to laugh. She’d cut off the left side of her head, and Link was watching her with an amusingly judgmental expression. “Oh, I kind of love this thing,” she admitted, saving the picture. “I’m definitely sending this to myself. I need to know if the quality is actually this bad on a newer phone.”</p><p>The bell for the door to the shop rang. “Be right with you,” he called, standing up. “I’ll be back. You can keep playing with it if you want. I have nothing sketchy in there.” His hands went to Zelda’s shoulders to scoot by her in the small space, but the way his fingers lingered just a second too long, or how they ran a trail along her thin blouse… she found herself shuddering. His touch left a tingling sensation on her skin, and she felt a harsh assault of butterflies in her stomach.</p><p>Quickly, she found her way to ‘new message’ and typed in her own phone number, attaching the picture of her and Link. She sent it, and half expected her dismantled phone to chime, despite being off.</p><p>She hit ‘down’ and ended up in his address book. She didn’t want to invade his phone <em>that </em>much, so she settled for hitting the menu button, which had an option for a new contact.</p><p>She’d typed like this before. Despite it taking some time, she eventually ended up with all her contact info in his phone—her name ‘APrincess’ so she’d end up at the top for him to see. He could fix it later if he wanted. The only thing she couldn’t find was how to add the photo to the contact, but she realized the phone might be too old for that.</p><p>Link walked through the room into the garage, and as she pulled up the game <em>Snake</em>, she listened to him, losing immediately with her attention divided.</p><p>“Hey, Gabe, tell Pip we have a rush on a camera I need him to take. I have the phone still.”</p><p>Less than another game later, a tall, thin, red headed boy came into the room, not seeing her as he passed into the shop. ‘Pip’ apparently. One of the boys from the picture on Link’s phone.</p><p>“He can take it,” she heard Link say. “It should be ready in two hours.”</p><p>The bell chimed again, and both boys moved into the back room, Pip fiddling with the camera before looking up.</p><p>His mouth dropped as he looked at Zelda, his eye catching on her obvious uniform. And he turned to Link, signing. <em>“There’s a girl from your school in the room.”</em></p><p><em>“There is,” </em>Link confirmed, chuckling.</p><p>
  <em>“Why is she here with you? She’s hot. And you’re… you.”</em>
</p><p>This time, Link turned to Zelda, biting his cheek as he felt his neck warm up. <em>“She is.” </em>Zelda’s mouth fell open a bit as they stared at each other. She felt like a puddle, but Link continued to address Pip. <em>“She also knows everything we’re saying, so watch out. She’s pretty decent at signing.”</em></p><p>“Excuse me? Decent?” Zelda scoffed.</p><p><em>“This is Zelda. Zelda, my best friend, Pipit. </em>Pip, Pipit whatever,<em>”</em> he added out loud.</p><p>Pipit turned to Zelda. “<em>You actually understand?”</em></p><p>She smiled, feeling a strange sense of pride that she’d actually learned ASL in the first place. <em>“I do. Link and I pretty much met while arguing in ASL in our class at school. He was being an asshole.”</em></p><p><em>“Good memories,” </em>Link said with a laugh. <em>“Pipit is the reason I learned. He’s <span class="u">actually</span> deaf, so don’t try to get him to listen to the Indigo Go’s.”</em></p><p>“You like them too, don’t try to hide it!” she laughed, rolling her eyes.</p><p>Link quickly translated—Zelda forgetting to sign—and Pipit laughed. <em>“He definitely does. They’re on his iPod.”</em></p><p>That had Zelda unexpectedly beaming, internally knocking her head to remember not to forget again. <em>“Oh! You know all the bands he’d be embarrassed by, right? Tell me everything there is to know about Link!”</em></p><p>Link scoffed and sat back down. <em>“Remember whose friend you are,” </em>he said to Pipit. <em>“I’ll be done here soon.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“No problem. I’m going to go finish what I was doing on the car first. It was good to meet you Zelda. I hope Link brings you around again.”</em>
</p><p><em>“Hopefully not under the same circumstances,” </em>she laughed. “<em>That’s my broken phone he’s fixing.”</em></p><p><em>“Shame on you, Link. You should have fixed the lady’s phone for free.” </em>Pipit scoffed and headed back into the garage.</p><p>Link rolled his eyes and turned to Zelda before returning back to his work. Zelda returned her attention to Link’s phone, starting another game of <em>Snake</em>.</p><p>And she was too focused to see Link stop working just to watch her play with his phone. And she didn’t see him fight his twitching hand, the hand that itched to reach out and touch her again. And she didn’t see how he worked slower to keep her there in the office with him.</p><p>But she didn’t need to see any of it.</p><p>She could feel it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I finally decided to cross post this on my fanfic.net account too, even though it's a different name. I think that means I should add the tag? I don't even know. I'm adding the tag. I added a couple of tags actually. That's my story of the day. Thanks for begrudgingly listening lol!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sunday night, Zelda sat on her couch, perched up on her knees with a bowl of popcorn as she watched the most popular show on tv together: <em>Moonlight Howl</em>. Makeela and Ruto were beside her: Makeela bending toward the show with wide-eyed engrossment, and Ruto cowering away at the gore.</p><p>“NO!” Makeela shouted, making Ruto jump.</p><p>“Oh, Goddess no!” Zelda echoed, grabbing Makeela’s arm. “No!”</p><p>“My baby!” Makeela keened, finally covering her eyes in disappointment as the credits abruptly rolled, leaving Fredrick Wolf’s dead eyes haunting the screen.</p><p>“I’m glad he’s dead,” Ruto muttered, earning the mortified expressions of her friends burning into her.</p><p>Zelda dumped the popcorn kernels on Ruto’s lap, and she let out a high-pitched noise.</p><p>“How dare you!” Zelda laughed. “Fredrick can’t die! He’s my hero! Well, Castor is, but Fredrick! No!”</p><p>Ruto popped a few pieces into her mouth before chucking a handful of kernels back at Zelda, though most hit Makeela in the middle. “He was a jerk! You can’t like him!”</p><p>Makeela wheeled on her. “A jerk? He was a god.”</p><p>“Just because you think he’s hot doesn’t make him a good character.”</p><p>“Um,” Zelda hissed. “He just died saving Lacey. Are we watching the same show?”</p><p>Zelda felt her phone vibrate and pulled it out of her sweatshirt pocket. Text from ‘Line’: “<em>You okay after that</em>?”</p><p>She still found it amusing that her phone had autocorrected Link to Line, and she didn’t want to change it. At the shop the other day, they’d discovered their mutual interest in <em>Moonlight Howl</em>, and he’d discovered her not-so-hidden number in his phone. Four days later, getting a text from him wasn’t even a surprise anymore, it was almost a given. She hastily texted back “<em>NOOOOOO</em>” before returning the phone to her pocket and turning back on Ruto.</p><p>“Someone die?” her father’s voice said from the doorway, staring at the tv. “Oh, is this that werewolf thing everyone loves?”</p><p>“<em>Moonlight Howl</em>, yeah,” she said, grateful he hadn’t come in earlier when a particularly… feral… scene between Fredrick and Lacey had been on just before he’d been brutally attacked by one of the antagonists in their wolf form.</p><p>“Someone at the office was talking about this. Is this… the kind of show you should be watching?”</p><p>Zelda made a face and absently gestured at the tv, though she felt her phone vibrate again. “I’ve been watching this for three years. Calm down.”</p><p>“From what I know about it, that doesn’t calm me in the slightest,” he muttered before walking out of the room.</p><p>Ruto fought back a laugh for Zelda’s sake and pulled out her own phone. “Darunia isn’t happy either. You’re all freaks for being sad. You still have Castor. He’s the lead anyway. Now if <em>he </em>dies, I’ll be pissed.”</p><p>“Oh gods,” Zelda whined, her hand reaching for her phone. “Castor is going to be devastated! His brother! Oh nooo! I can’t handle it.”</p><p>She looked down. <em>“I think Pip is crying.” </em>Then another text: <em>“Definitely crying.”</em></p><p>Zelda tried to keep her face impassive, but it apparently didn’t work.</p><p>“What’s so funny?” Ruto asked. “Who are you texting?”</p><p>Zelda quickly switched from her messages to a long thread online of people’s devastation over Fredrick’s death. She’d looked at people’s predictions before the episode, and was thankful the app was still open. Zelda spun her wrist to show them. “People are sobbing all over the world right now.”</p><p>Ruto stood up and stretched. “I can’t understand. But on that note, I’m going to leave you two to your waterworks. I have to go finish my essay before tomorrow.”</p><p>“’Finish?’” Zelda chuckled. “You mean ‘start.’”</p><p>Ruto playfully shoved Zelda’s head and grabbed her light coat. “See you tomorrow when you’re both doing better.”</p><p>“We won’t be,” Makeela snorted, grabbing the bowl off the table and scooping the mess of popcorn kernels into it once Ruto had gone. “She’s crazy if she’s not sad.”</p><p>Zelda nodded eagerly. “She is. She’s just too stubborn to admit she actually liked Fredrick." Leaning back, obscuring her screen from Makeela, Zelda responded to Link. “<em>Give him a hug from me. Tell him we’re grieving together. Are you crying too? Do you need a hug?</em>”</p><p>She looked up. “Are you leaving now, too?”</p><p>“I need sleep to muster up any energy for Spirit Week.” She finished the last of her water. “What are you wearing tomorrow?”</p><p>Zelda leaned on the couch and gestured vaguely at the ceiling. “I bought new pajamas just for school. They’re pretty cute, and they’re totally dress code approved, so if she stops me, I’m going to actually flip.” Tomorrow was Pajama Day to start off Spirit Week.</p><p>Her phone vibrated.</p><p>Makeela stuffed her foot into her sneaker. “I’ll fight her with you. Tag team, you know?”</p><p>“Good to know I’ve got a corner full.”</p><p>“You do.” She blew Zelda a kiss and waved. “See you tomorrow.”</p><p>“Bye!” Zelda said, watching her leave through the front door before going to lock it.</p><p>She grabbed her phone in one hand and the other was cleaning up the mess they’d made.</p><p>
  <em>“Definitely T_T”</em>
</p><p>Laughing to herself, she could almost imagine him making a face. She scrolled though the GIF’s and stopped on “*<em>sending virtual hug</em>*” before plopping it back into her pocket.</p><p>With the dishes in her hand, she stuck them into the dishwasher and leaned against the counter. Her parents were in a hushed discussion that had stopped when she’d entered, and they were both smiling sweetly at her.</p><p>“How was your show?” her mom asked.</p><p>“Tragic.”</p><p>“They killed her man,” her father snorted.</p><p>Zelda threw a grape at him before plopping another one into her mouth. “They did. I’m devastated.”</p><p>“There are other fish in the sea,” her mom said with a chuckle, holding out a hand for a grape.</p><p>But her dad was laughing to himself. “Or: there are other wolves in the pack.”</p><p>“Oh gods,” Zelda muttered, stifling back a snort before taking a final grape. “On that note, I’m going to go finish my homework and then just go to bed. Goodnight!”</p><p>“Wait!” her dad called. She stopped in the doorway. “We won’t be here when you get home from school tomorrow. We might miss dinner too, so I’ll leave you my card to order some food. You can have someone over if you want, as long as they leave at a reasonable time.”</p><p>“Are you going to be gone all night? Both of you?”</p><p>“I don’t know, darling,” her mom sighed. “There’s just a lot at the office right now.”</p><p>“I can come in after school. I’ll help with papers or whatever. You don’t even have to pay me.”</p><p>Arina stood up and kissed Zelda’s hair, despite being a few inches shorter. Zelda was happy to accommodate the small gesture. And her father, Ramus, ruffled her hair. “You focus on school and that play this week. It’s Spirit Week, take some time to yourself, okay?”</p><p>But with a harsh breath, Zelda shrugged. “Yeah, okay.”</p><p>“Goodnight, love.”</p><p>She took the steps to her room two at a time before throwing herself onto her bed and lying there with her face pressed down into the comforter until she felt her phone vibrate again.</p><p>Taking it out, she made a face as she saw her last text to Link.</p><p>
  <em>“G ugh fgf glxcchggff”</em>
</p><p>Oops.</p><p>She scrolled up a bit. She’d sent Link the GIF, but his response had been: <em>“Whatever you sent won’t load. I don’t have a fancy phone”</em></p><p>And then underneath her gibberish, he said: <em>“My thoughts exactly.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Sorry. My phone was in my pocket. And I sent a virtual hug for you and Pipit.”</em>
</p><p>The response was fairly quick. <em>“Pipi says he loves you and wishes you’d marry him. I think that hug was a bit much.”</em></p><p>She couldn’t think of a response to that, but she didn’t need to. Another text from Link’s phone. <em>“Link is being an asshole to both of us. Don’t listen to him I daidsa  a”</em></p><p>
  <em>“He said he loves you. Can’t get you out of his mind.”</em>
</p><p>Zelda snorted, watching the texts come in one after the other as she peeled off her sweatshirt and grabbed her notebook to finish her math, letting her phone vibrate a few times before she ended up looking at it again. All texts from Link, but very clear signs of a struggle over the phone between him and Pipit. She scrolled to the end.</p><p>
  <em>“He wants to be your Fredrick Wolf”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“He’s getting back at me for something totally unrelated that I said. I’m sorry”</em>
</p><p>Zelda quickly responded with: “<em>Frederick Wolf is dead. Poor aspirations for a lover. Tell Pipit I’ll marry him if he can get you to stop using me as part of your lovers quarrel.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Solid plan. I’ll see you at the wedding. Bye Zelda.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Bye you two”</em>
</p><p>Plugging her phone in, she ducked under the covers and found it <em>very</em> hard to think about math when thoughts of Link were pounding away at her brain instead.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Oh, of course it got worse,” Zelda muttered as she watched the rain pour down while she ate a bowl of Moblin Munchie cereal.</p><p>“Umbrella or raincoat?” her dad asked, examining them both on the coat rack.</p><p>“Both, if you don’t mind grabbing them.”</p><p>Her father came back and tossed them both onto the counter before looking her over. “Are those the actual clothes you’re wearing, or your real pajamas?”</p><p>She glanced down at herself. She had on dark blue pajama pants with coffee cups all over them and a loose tee shirt that she had tied at the end with a hair elastic. Her own hair was in a high bun on her head. “This is what I’m wearing today. I’m leaving a change of clothes and a sweatshirt in my car too, just in case… something happens.” Her parents didn’t know about her ongoing fight about her uniforms.</p><p>“Good call,” he said, glancing at the weather app on his phone. “You have rehearsal tonight?”</p><p>“Nope.”</p><p>“Okay, good. Do you have that proposal you said you needed done?”</p><p>“I do. Printed and everything.”</p><p>Her dad smiled and nodded. “Be careful driving. See if that stuff we sprayed on your windshield works, too. I’ll take care of the dishes.”</p><p>“Thanks,” she said as she grabbed her raincoat and pulled it on before slinging her backpack on and grabbing her keys.</p><p>The rain was pouring down so hard, she could barely see in front of her. It made her a little nervous to drive, but she threw all her things into the backseat and headed out.</p><p>The drive was slow and torturous, but she stayed careful. The wind was blowing her car over, and she was more than a little displeased with the whole ordeal. But despite the torrential downpour, her eyes caught on something familiar. A backpack she was pretty sure she recognized.</p><p>Quickly, she pulled over and grabbed her phone, clicking Link’s name. It was three rings for him to answer, and the figure stopped walking.</p><p>“Zelda?” he asked, though it was difficult to hear him over the wind.</p><p>“Link, are you on Market Street?”</p><p>The figure turned around. “Is that you creeping on me?”</p><p>“Yes! Why are you walking to school in the rain? Get in my car.”</p><p>“It’s okay, I’m grabbing the bus.”</p><p>She hung up on him and drove beside him, smacked her emergency lights, and rolled down her window. “Get in, now!”</p><p>“I’m soaked!” he had to call back over the howl and rain as he tucked his phone away.</p><p>“I don’t care! Get your ass in this car!”</p><p>He hesitated. “I just—”</p><p>Zelda honked her horn to cut him off. “Get in!”</p><p>“Zel—”</p><p>She honked again.</p><p>“Fine!” he hissed, hurrying around and sliding inside as she rolled up the window.</p><p>She looked him over. It looked like he’d fallen straight into Lake Hylia. It looked worse than if he’d been in a shower. He was drenched, his uniform button-down sticking to his skin, revealing his plain white tee shirt underneath. He didn’t have the sweater on, so the light, white fabric stuck to the muscles of his arms and shoulders.</p><p>Zelda cleared her throat and cranked up the heater on before turning to him, keeping her eyes level with his. It wasn’t much help. His hair was stuck to his forehead and his skin glistened as he blinked raindrops off his eyelashes before wiping them away. For her own sanity, she was beyond glad he had a layer under his uniform, or she was positive she wouldn’t have been able to compose herself so quickly.</p><p>“What are you doing?” she demanded. “It’s like a tropical storm out!”</p><p>He leaned closer to the heat. “I don’t have a car. I had to get to the bus somehow.”</p><p>“Your parents don’t have a car you could have used for the day?”</p><p>With a quick glance to her, he felt himself flushing. “I don’t live with my parents. I live with my older sister.”</p><p>“Oh,” she said, surprised at the unexpected fact. She wanted to know more, but he didn't seem ready to offer it. “Um, okay, well did you even consider calling me? I have a car and obviously can give you a ride anytime. Like, do you need a ride to work after school?”</p><p>He didn’t know where to rest his hands. They stuck to whatever article of clothing he touched. “Ilia will give me a ride. She lives close by.”</p><p>“Do you need a ride home later, then?”</p><p>“No. I’ll get a ride from someone else.”</p><p>“I’m <em>offering!</em>” She wanted to hit him, to knock some sense into him. “What’s your problem?”</p><p>He rubbed his neck. “I don’t want your friends to get on you about me.”</p><p>“Let me worry about my friends, and you worry about yours, okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, Zelda, that’s what I’m doing! <em>You’re</em> my friend.”</p><p>Her annoyance softened at his desperate tone. She knew there was more to this bizarre obsession of his. It made <em>some</em> sense, but not to the extent he’d taken it. “Then <em>let me</em> be your friend. Friends give each other rides when it’s pouring out.”</p><p>“I’m in your car, aren’t I?”</p><p>“Are you pissed off that I’m trying to give you a ride?”</p><p>“No!” He leaned back and closed his eyes. “No,” he said in a much calmer voice. “Thank you for this. I mean it.”</p><p>“Is your seatbelt on?” she asked without looking at him.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Would you hate me if I went to get a coffee?”</p><p>Finally, he turned to her. “No, of course not.”</p><p>She nodded and turned her emergency lights off, finally pulling back onto the road.</p><p>As they drove, she could feel Link’s eyes on her. She glanced at him. “Yeah?”</p><p>“I’m trying to hear what the fuck kind of music you’re listening to.”</p><p>She bit her lip and turned the volume up, bopping to the upbeat music. He chuckled. “I still don’t know what this is.”</p><p>“It’s <em>Rhoam: A Hylian Musical.”</em></p><p>He barked out a laugh. “Why am I not surprised?”</p><p>She grinned, feeling the ease of their conversations return. “You can change it. My phone is in the cupholder.”</p><p>He grabbed the phone and stared at it. “Nah, I’ll listen to it. I have to get used to musicals anyway if I’m helping with the set. ‘The Hyrule Sisters.’ Sounds like the name for a horror story, not a song. You sing this sort of thing in your show?”</p><p>“This show sounds very different, but yeah, basically. And no, I’m not serenading you.”</p><p>“Damn,” he laughed, putting her phone back down as they pulled into the drive through. The line was long thanks to the rain. He pulled the mirror down and glanced at himself. “Fuck. I look like shit. Today is going to suck.”</p><p>Like a force drew her to act, she ran her hand through his hair, fixing it. She felt him flinch away, surprised for a moment, but he relaxed and bent towards her a bit to make it easier for her. She had to avoid his piercing eyes as he watched her, though she could still feel her chest clenching tightly, her stomach being battered by a swarm of aggressive butterflies, more powerful than the butterflies that threatened to take her down whenever she auditioned for a play.</p><p>“That’s a little better,” she said, pulling the car up a little. They weren’t next. “You look a little like a sad puppy.” She bit her lip as he regarded her with his blue eyes and she shook her head, giggling. “No, like a wolf puppy. You’d totally fit on <em>Moonlight Howl</em>.”</p><p>“Are you going to try and convince me I’m Fredrick?”</p><p>She snorted. “No, you’re Castor, all the way.” But she stopped herself, regretting her quick words. Castor… the hot male lead with a redemption arch… the one people fangirled over. Fredrick was his brother, possessed and fighting off the moon curse when he died to protect Lacey, but still. He was one to root for, but Castor was the hero, the one you couldn’t help but love no matter what he did, even when he’d gone rogue for a whole season.</p><p>“Yeah?” he chuckled, watching her with a cheeky grin.</p><p>She bit back her own smile and was relieved when they reached the speaker.</p><p>“Hi welcome to Hyrule Energized, would you like to try our Goron Donuts?”</p><p>“No thank you,” Zelda said sweetly, as usual. “I’ll have a medium iced coffee with soymilk and two sugars, please. And a small hot coffee, black.”</p><p>“Sure thing. That’ll be $4.75. You can pull up.”</p><p>Zelda spun on Link. “Don’t you dare try to pay again.”</p><p>“You didn’t need to get me anything.”</p><p>“Well, I did.”</p><p>He leaned on the armrest and nodded. “Thank you… again.”</p><p>“So, why are you in your uniform? It’s Spirit Week.” Her eyes caught on his wet shirt again and she clicked her tongue as she attempted to distract herself by playing with the speed of the windshield wipers.</p><p>“Can’t afford to dress up every day.”</p><p>She made a noise. “It’s free, Link. It’s Spirit Week.”</p><p>“Oh,” he said, making a face. “Whoops. What’s tomorrow?”</p><p>“Hero Day.”</p><p>“Maybe I’ll be the Hero of Time then. I have a shirt, I think.”</p><p>“Complete with white tights and a green hat?” She felt herself warm up under his incredulous stare.</p><p>“Is that what you want me to wear? Or should I be the Hero of the Past? I don’t think he wears pants though.”</p><p>She leaned her arm against the window, keeping her totally red face off of him entirely, lest her eyes—or mind—start to wander. “You should wear whatever you want,” she tried, though her voice was weak. She shook her head, cursing herself. He was way too observant to be oblivious to her reaction right now.</p><p>And when he chuckled, low and—gods—sultry even, she knew she was <em>far</em> too obvious. She could still see him from the corner of her eye, and literally spun her body so she was fully facing the window a little too long before she had to roll it down to pay.</p><p>It was only when she handed him his coffee that she managed to look at him again.</p><p>“Thank you,” he said again.</p><p>The rest of the ride was met with comfortable silence, and Zelda needed that time to just breathe before going into school. She noticed Link’s eyes had drifted shut and his head was leaning on the seatbelt strap. When she parked, she gave him a solid extra minute before shaking his arm, feeling the damp fabric beneath her hand.</p><p>He hummed and looked over at her groggily. “Did I just fall asleep?”</p><p>“Does rain put you to sleep?”</p><p>He pulled his dry sweater out of his backpack and nodded. “Yes, actually.” He tugged it over his head and pulled it down, fixing his shirt collar.</p><p>Zelda’s damned hand reached out and helped him with the back before pulling away and distracting herself with her bag in the backseat. She grabbed her umbrella and handed it to Link as she pulled the bag onto her lap, nearly hitting the horn before pulling on her hood.</p><p>Link got out and opened the umbrella before hurrying to Zelda’s side of the car.</p><p>“No, go ahead. I have a hood,” she said, urging him on.</p><p>He just made a face at her, and she ducked under the umbrella, locking her car as they hurried to the front door. Link held it open and shook the rain off the umbrella outside before letting the door shut and closing the umbrella, snapping it into its portable size. Zelda slid it into her pocket and pulled off her hood.</p><p>And saw Revali, Darunia, Ruto, and Makeela watching her and Link.</p><p>Link watched them carefully before clearing his throat. “Thanks again, Zelda.”</p><p>“Anytime.”</p><p>He gave them all a vaguely polite nod before hiking up his backpack and shaking out his still-wet hair as he made his way through the doors.</p><p>And then they were on her.</p><p>“What the hell, Zelda?” Revali snapped, his eyes still locked on where Link had disappeared.</p><p>“What? I saw him walking in this weather, so I gave him a ride.”</p><p>Revali was in one of those tee shirts with fake muscles across the front. Zelda thought it was fitting, given the attitude he’d taken.  </p><p>“He could have hurt you.”</p><p>Zelda pushed past him and was immediately stopped by Ruto. “You don’t want to be around him, Z.”</p><p>“I gave him a ride, I didn’t marry him, gods.”</p><p>“We’re concerned for you with him, that’s all. You know his reputation.” Ruto wrapped her hand around Zelda’s arm as she spoke. She and Revali had effectively boxed her in with every step she took.</p><p>But Zelda pulled away. “He’s not bad or going to hurt me. He’s literally just a guy we all go to school with, not a murderer on the streets.”</p><p>“You don’t know what he does when he goes home,” Revali scoffed.</p><p>“That’s ridiculous.”</p><p>Makeela pushed Ruto’s arm off her and pulled Zelda away, desperate to offer her the space that the others wouldn’t give her. “She gets it, okay? Let’s move on.”</p><p>“Fine. Zelda, you know we’re just looking out for you, right?” Revali asked.</p><p>She nodded, hesitant. She didn’t know.</p><p>Were they?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Link considered Tuesday to be an actual blur of a school day in his life, and it was somewhat because of Zelda Harkinian.</p>
<p>No, it was <em>definitely</em> because of her.</p>
<p>When he’d arrived at school, he hadn’t seen her car. Even if he had, he was half-expecting her gang to pop up behind him and drag him behind a dumpster. But the thought had him laughing to himself. They’d never have the balls for that.</p>
<p>“Gum?” he heard Ilia say over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Shit!” he hissed, whipping around in surprise. “What?”</p>
<p>“Have some gum. You smell like you smoked a cigarette before coming to school.”</p>
<p>“I did,” he muttered, taking a piece from her.</p>
<p>She giggled and took in what he was wearing as she popped her own piece of gum into her mouth. “You look effective.”</p>
<p>He hummed, looking down at himself. He was in a green hoodie, tan pants, and a brown pair of combat boots. For good measure, he wore his brown fingerless gloves. He was the Hero of… something. It was green. That’s all that really mattered.</p>
<p>Ilia was wearing a tee shirt that said “Hide and Sheik” on it, and she wore a hat that was shaped like the hero Sheik’s mask. “Mhmm, same. You’re Sheik’s twin,” he muttered, playfully whacking her hat down.</p>
<p>“You ready for tonight?” he asked, absently searching for a conversation.</p>
<p>She gave him a bland look. “I don’t really want to paint a set. I don’t get why we have to.”</p>
<p>“Because Ms. Romani told us to,” he said, wrapping his arms casually around Ilia before letting his head slam down into her shoulder, groaning. “I just want to go to sleep.”</p>
<p>“Did you get your history paper done?”</p>
<p>“Mmm, it’s in my backpack.”</p>
<p>“Then you can take a nap and I’ll cover for you while we’re painting.”</p>
<p>He took a deep breath and let go of her, grabbing his books in his hand before absently sliding his shoulder into his locker for fun. Boredom hit hard at 7:36am.</p>
<p>Ilia was on her phone when he slid back out, amazed by how much of his body actually fit in the locker. But he was glad he’d gotten out when he saw <em>her </em>walking towards her locker.</p>
<p>“Oh, fuck me,” Link groaned, grabbing Ilia’s arm almost by accident as Zelda neared.</p>
<p>Ilia glanced over at him and then followed his gaze before chuckling to herself. “Sounds about right.”</p>
<p>Zelda made no attempt to make eye contact with him, possibly because Ilia was there, or she genuinely hadn’t seen him from where he practically hid himself behind Ilia, as if that could somehow make it harder to stare at Zelda.</p>
<p>She was in the outfit she’d teased him to wear.</p>
<p>She was wearing a green tunic dress, one that had to <em>just</em> meet the dress code standards. She wore brown boots, white leggings and a white long sleeve shirt, a green hat, and brown gloves that she was already tugging at to pull them off. But in the tunic, her legs went on for days. She was completely covered, but Link cursed his teenaged body for betraying him so harshly when he found he couldn’t tear his eyes off of her.</p>
<p>Link moved Ilia covertly in front of him as he kept muttering hushed curses.</p>
<p>“What’s your <em>actual</em> problem?” she hissed, though she dutifully moved in front of Link like a bouncer, her arms crossed as she rolled her eyes at him.</p>
<p>He adjusted his hoodie and shoved his hands in his pocket, leaning against the locker like it was a lifeline. “She’s…”</p>
<p>She glanced at Zelda and then back to Link. “Your crush getting worse?”</p>
<p>He nodded slowly. There was no point in keeping any of it from her. “How could it not get worse?”</p>
<p>Ilia made an enamored face. “<em>Please</em> let me plan the wedding.”</p>
<p>“Shut the fuck up, Ilia,” he practically groaned, trying and failing to think of anything… <em>anything</em> else other than Zelda. He didn’t even want to wave at her, lest she look at him the way she had in her car yesterday.</p>
<p>So, when Ilia called Zelda’s name, it was <em>not</em> what he’d expected her to do, and he practically threw up when Zelda’s attention shifted to him and Ilia.</p>
<p>“Zelda, hey!” Ilia said. “I love your dress so much. Where’s you get it?”</p>
<p>Zelda blushed, trying to keep her eyes on Ilia, but failing as they occasionally darted over her shoulder to Link. And every time her eyes met his, he had to remind himself to breathe so he didn’t embarrass himself by casually dying in front of her because she <em>was</em> looking at him with that same soft look she had yesterday.</p>
<p>It was wholly new to him, to have someone at school other than Ilia look excited to talk to him, or to smile at him when they passed in the hall. Or to give him rides to get him out of the rain and talk about coffee or mutually obsessive addictions to certain bands. Or care enough to fix his hair. Or talk about television shows they both loved. Or to casually text every day about absolutely random shit, and to feel excited whenever his phone chimed.</p>
<p>His neck tensed when her gaze went from him to Ilia.</p>
<p>“Um, actually I got it at a convention stall. I went last year with a friend.”</p>
<p>“You go to cons?” Ilia asked, desperate to turn to Link and give him a thumbs up, approving of Zelda from that statement alone. “I dragged Link with me to the one in Castle Town last year. Did you go to the same one?”</p>
<p>“I did!” Zelda laughed. “I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I did. I was surprised.”</p>
<p>“Well, I think it’s adorable, and it makes me really happy that you got it at that con, because I loved it.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Zelda smiled, grabbing her books and closing her locker. Her eyes lingered perhaps a little too long on Link before turning back to Ilia. “Um… I’m going to…” she gestured to the doors to the stairwell. She’d never had a conversation with Ilia and couldn’t figure out quite how to end it.</p>
<p>“Yeah, see you later,” Ilia said, waving as Zelda left with a grinned goodbye to Link. But Ilia grabbed Link and shoved him at the doors. “Go! Before the halls get crowded with ears. Go say something nice to her right now, Link! Pluck up your courage before she goes upstairs!”</p>
<p>He rolled his eyes but didn’t fight her as he followed Zelda into the stairwell. She was walking like a slug with her nose in her phone, nearly tripping as she took the first step.</p>
<p>“Watch where you’re going,” he said, leaning on the railing and looking up at her. He was able to pull from his old store of confidence when he needed to, but gods, she made him so nervous that sometimes, like at their locker, he forgot how to speak.</p>
<p>She nearly stumbled again but kept her footing. “Hey.”</p>
<p>“Nice look, Hero.”</p>
<p>Her cheeks reddened almost immediately. “You inspired it, actually. Our conversation, I mean.”</p>
<p>“Well, considered me flattered,” he managed to choke out, though his voice sounded like a prepubescent boy with how it managed to crack on the first word. “Are you good with your friends after yesterday?”</p>
<p>“We’re good… I think.”</p>
<p>“Okay, good. I didn’t mean to cause trouble between you guys.”</p>
<p>“Link…” she muttered, shaking her head. “They’re just… they’re not…” she couldn’t find the words. “I don’t mind. Don’t let them stop you from asking me for a ride if you ever want one.”</p>
<p>“Weather says there’s a storm in two weeks on Wednesday. If it’s true, do you mind?”</p>
<p>She laughed and nodded. “I’ll put it in my phone.”</p>
<p>“Alright.” He did his best to not look like she made him want to melt into a puddle just by smiling at him. “Hey… uh, did you get that petition thing in?”</p>
<p>Zelda grinned and leaned on the railing to look down at him. “I did yesterday. It’s with the student committee to get approval for distribution, then I can bother people to sign it.”</p>
<p>“Bother me first, okay? My name will scare others into signing.”</p>
<p>She snorted. “That’s a pretty solid plan. ‘If Link can sign, so can you!’”</p>
<p>Link ran a hand through his hair, chuckling. “I’m in. Well, I won’t keep you. I’ll see you later. Just wanted to say you looked good as the Hero of Time.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, Link. You look good as… yourself, since you barely dressed up.” <em>Good as yourself</em> she repeated in her mind, cursing her awkward compliment.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” he said with a winning smile.</p>
<p>She adjusted her bag and went up the rest of the stairs.</p>
<p>Link couldn’t control his fucking eyes as he watched her go up the steps, his eyes trailing up her long legs.</p>
<p>Zelda popped her head over the railing and gave Link a smug look, one that said she had a feeling his eyes were on her.</p>
<p>Link bit his lip and closed his eyes for a moment, so clearly caught. “You… um… have a big piece of thread hanging off your… shirt,” he said in an oh-so-casual tone that didn’t give him away in the <em>slightest. </em></p>
<p>“Thread?” And despite both of them being redder than an apple, Zelda shot him a knowing smile. “Mhmm,” she laughed before disappearing.</p>
<p>When Link heard the doors swing closed, he ran both his hands through his hair several times. “Fucking hell,” Link mumbled as he practically stumbled his way out the door.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Did Mr. Ezlo say this was supposed to be blue? I don’t want to touch it until I know,” Ilia whispered, trying not to disturb the dance scene that was being rehearsed just a few feet away on the stage. Them and the rest of the art class were behind the curtains, painting a massive piece of wood.</p>
<p>Link shrugged and looked up. Revali was still in his clothes from the school day, but thank the Goddess for his sake, Zelda had switched into black leggings and a tank top. Link was able to focus on painting this thing with thoughts of her pushed to the back of his mind.</p>
<p>Well. That was a lie.</p>
<p>He pulled out his phone and sat back against Ilia. She watched him text APrincess. “<em>Is this thing supposed to be blue?”</em></p>
<p>“Why is that her name in your phone? And since when do you even have her number?”</p>
<p>“How do you know it’s her?” he asked, trying to be smart. But Ilia just gave him a look that had him fighting a laugh. “She put it in.”</p>
<p>“<em>She</em> did?” Ilia asked, too excited.</p>
<p>“She came to Gabe’s to get her phone fixed last week.”</p>
<p>“A <em>week</em>? Why am I just learning this?”</p>
<p>He could see Zelda pacing below the stage, her face lit by her phone. She looked up to him and craned her neck before looking at her phone again.</p>
<p>“<em>Oh Goddess, no! Red! You’re painting the club, right?”</em></p>
<p>“Are we painting the club?” he asked Ilia.</p>
<p>Ilia hit his arm. “If I knew what we were doing, I wouldn’t ask you questions, would I?”</p>
<p>
  <em>“We think so.”</em>
</p>
<p>He watched Zelda chuckle before looking up at him and shaking her head. <em>“You’re terrible. Go ask your art teacher.”</em></p>
<p>Link sighed and got up, heading into the other room where Ms. Romani was working with other students to paint something completely different. “Hey Ms. Romani, are we painting our thing red or blue?”</p>
<p>“You and Ilia, right? Red.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” he muttered, taking his sweet time heading back.</p>
<p>And when he did, Zelda was on the stage.</p>
<p>“Oh fuck.”</p>
<p>Ilia turned around and shushed him, pulling him to sit beside her. “Shut up, horndog! She’s rehearsing. What color Did Ms. Romani say?”</p>
<p>“Red,” he said, watching Zelda. She was surrounded by other girls and a few guys sitting in chairs, like they were an audience. And when the music began, the music from a CD so they could all focus on learning the dance, she went over to Darunia and ran her hand along his chest and Link found himself <em>wishing</em> he did theater.</p>
<p>“I’m never going to be able to watch this show,” he muttered.</p>
<p>She watched Zelda and made a face. “I can see your dilemma. If it were Ralis up there, I’d feel the same way.”</p>
<p>Link was about to turn back to his work when he caught someone else’s attention.</p>
<p>Revali was sitting at one of the tables, watching Link instead of the scene around him. His eyes were narrowed in a glare as he tapped his foot.</p>
<p>Link met his gaze, a challenge to keep staring.</p>
<p>Revali might be one to display confidence, but he couldn’t keep his eyes on Link for too long without looking away.</p>
<p>But Link had a bad impression that it wasn’t the end of Revali’s apparent jealousy or protective rage.</p>
<p>And Link wasn’t sure he was quite ready to face that particular challenge, but he had a feeling he was about to, whether he wanted to or not.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On Costume Day, Zelda was dressed as a modern, half-assed high schooler’s version of one of the three goddesses of legend. Of course, she needed a team for that, and Ruto and Makeela were both dressing identically, just in different colors. They decided to keep it simple and comfortable, opting for a more subtle look than ballgowns and wings. Zelda pinned the printed-out word ‘Nayru’ to the front of her blue shirt and pulled on some black leggings, hiking long blue socks over them with white sneakers to top it off. She braided her hair into the look they’d all agreed on. Makeela was Din, and Ruto was Farore.</p>
<p>Satisfied, Zelda looked at the clock. There was a fine line between being early, and being <em>too</em> early, so she ate at home, playing on her phone for a while.</p>
<p>“<em>Who are you today</em>?” she sent to Link, curious.</p>
<p>His response was pretty quick. “<em>Did you forget because I’m ‘Lonk’ in your phone</em>?”</p>
<p>She chuckled to herself and shook her head. “<em>You’re actually ‘Line’ in my phone lol. Got to admit, I might change it to Lonk now.”</em></p>
<p>It was a minute before he sent anything back to her, and to her surprise, it was a picture. She was hesitant to open it, half wondering if he was wearing some cowboy stripper outfit. Which he wouldn’t be. There was no way… but one could always hope.</p>
<p>But it was almost better, in some ways. Ways that didn’t involve her very inappropriate line of thought, anyway.</p>
<p>It was just Link, in his short-sleeved uniform polo, looking fake bored for the sake of the picture. His hair was wet, like he’d just gotten out of the shower, but otherwise, it was so stereotypically <em>Link</em> that she kind of loved that he’d bothered to send her anything at all.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Couldn’t think of anything so I’m going as a high school student.”</em>
</p>
<p>He was surprisingly good at getting a decent shot of himself with his old phone. She looked at the background. He was in a kitchen, counters cornering him with an empty roll of paper towels, an empty bowl filled with milk, and well-used crumpled box of cereal, Loftwing Loops. She grinned. It was the same cereal she was eating.</p>
<p>Drumming her fingers near the sink, she moved so she was beside her box of cereal, pointing to it with a cute smile and making sure the word ‘Nayru’ was clear in the picture. She also decided it would probably look better on the back of her shirt, but she’d do that later. She tried to take the picture about four times before picking the best one and sent it to Link. “<em>You might lack imagination, but points for great taste in cereal.”</em></p>
<p>His response took a while, but eventually, as she was brushing her teeth, she heard her phone vibrate again.</p>
<p><em>“I have a very good imagination. I just choose to put it towards things that aren’t school</em>.”</p>
<p>And then a second a moment after: “<em>Speaking of which, I have to get going. See you later.</em>”</p>
<p>Whether he intended it or not, Zelda couldn’t help but read a little too deeply into his response and found herself blushing. She had to take her mind off of him, and took another picture, this time to send to Makeela and Ruto. <em>“You two ready?”</em></p>
<p>Makeela sent a picture of herself dressed identically to Zelda but in red, and with a thumbs up. Ruto sent a sleeping emoji. Well, she expected nothing less.</p>
<p>Eventually, she ran out of mindless things to keep herself occupied and headed to school.</p>
<p>Link and Ilia were sitting on the floor in front of his locker, sharing Ilia’s headphones and a history book resting between their legs as they both scribbled into their notebooks.</p>
<p>Zelda found herself oddly jealous. Not of Ilia, per se, but of how easy it was between them. How close she sat to Link, how familiar they always were with each other. He reached over and tapped her notebook before she erased something and muttered a thank you. It was just <em>easy</em>.</p>
<p>He glanced up and saw Zelda. Grinning, he lifted his head slightly in a greeting before returning to his work. She reorganized her books to better fit her backpack and moved a few pictures around that she’d stuck inside, still waiting for the bell. Makeela was at her locker too, getting her things together.</p>
<p>She heard snickering from down the hall and turned to see a crowd of people around Revali. She could only see his face, but he and everyone around was apparently having a good laugh. She debated going over there, but she heard everyone getting closer. It apparently wasn’t going to be necessary.</p>
<p>Zelda turned to ask Revali what was up, but the words caught in her throat. He was dressed in a black and white striped prison outfit, complete with a ball around his ankle. And on his chest, he wore a sticker that said “Hello, My Name Is: Link”</p>
<p>Her mouth fell open in total shock before drifting to Link, who was standing up, eyes level with Revali’s.</p>
<p>“You can’t be serious,” she finally managed, grabbing Revali’s arm before reaching for the sticker. “Take that off.”</p>
<p>“Link,” Ilia cautioned.</p>
<p>“I know,” he muttered, lightly pushing her an arm’s length away.</p>
<p>Revali shook Zelda off him, angling so she couldn’t reach his nametag, grinning at Link.</p>
<p>Link comfortably leaned back against his locker, never looking away as he returned a cocky smile. It was a silent challenge that passed between them.</p>
<p>“Revali! What’s your problem? This isn’t you! It’s cruel,” Zelda tried again, moving around to get onto his other side.</p>
<p>He looked at her, moving her off his arm again. “They said to dress up as something interesting. Since he keeps appearing everywhere now, I find it to be <em>very</em> interesting.”</p>
<p>“Revali—”</p>
<p>“Zelda,” Link said, cutting her off with a shake of his head. “It’s fine. Let it go. He’s not worth getting upset with.”</p>
<p><em>That</em> struck Revali’s nerve, and he took a few aggressive steps toward Link. “Oh, you think <em>I’m</em> worthless? Rich, coming from someone like you.”</p>
<p>Link snickered. “I’m flattered you wanted to imitate trash for the day, but I wasn’t dressed like The Hamburglar; I had an orange jumpsuit.”</p>
<p>Ilia looked ready to step between them both in an instant. “Link, don’t bother,” she warned him.</p>
<p>“Yeah, listen to the girl. Don’t, Link. Don’t do anything that might get you arrested <em>again</em>.”</p>
<p>“Revali! Back off!” Zelda said, reaching for him yet again, but she felt Darunia pulling her back, keeping her away from a potential physical fight.</p>
<p>Link looked at Zelda and leaned forward to move his hands behind his back, leaning into them as a sort of reminder not to react before returning his steady gaze to Revali.</p>
<p>But Link’s small action only spurred Revali on to flap his mouth off more. “Right, I’ll bet that’s s position you’re very familiar with: hands behind your back.”</p>
<p>Zelda tried tugging herself out of Darunia’s grasp, but he held on tighter, especially when Revali slammed his palm into the locker beside Link’s head.</p>
<p>Link didn’t react to the comment, but Ilia did. She lunged forward, but Link caught her before she could do anything, pulling her away with him, his arms wrapped tightly around her, much like Darunia held Zelda.</p>
<p>“Stop,” he whispered to her, loosening his grip so his restraint became a sort of hug.</p>
<p>“Hey!” Mr. Auru’s voice shouted as he ran down the hall. “Hey, what’s happening?” His eyes flickered to Zelda and Ilia, both being restrained. “Girls?” But he took in Revali’s almost subconscious shaking off his hand and then looked around again. “Someone tell me what just happened right now, or it’s a detention for every single one of you.”</p>
<p>Revali turned to Zelda, the look in his eye daring her to choose a side. And as much as she wanted to, a deeply rooted piece of herself, the part of her that had been friends with a <em>kind</em> Revali for three years, kept her silent altogether.</p>
<p>No one spoke, but one of the younger bystanders didn’t care and really didn’t want detention. “Revali started it.”</p>
<p>Mr. Auru finally noticed the sticker on Revali’s outfit and cursed to himself. “Don’t you dare touch that yet, and go to Mrs. Joy. I’ll be right in there. Go.” When Revali had gone, he shooed the rest of the students. “What happened?”</p>
<p>The same student spoke, but their story was corroborated by several head-nods. “Revali just snapped.”</p>
<p>He turned to Link. “Did either of you touch each other? Did you hit him, or he hit you?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>Mr. Auru let out a long sigh and nodded. “Everyone get to your homerooms. I don’t want to see any of you loitering. Go!” And then finally, he turned to Link. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“Yes, sir.”</p>
<p>“Okay. Go to the main office for now. I’ll take care of this with Mrs. Joy and be right there.”</p>
<p>Link nodded, and Mr. Auru pushed past him to go to Mrs. Joy’s room.</p>
<p>Running his hands quickly up and down Ilia’s arms, Link smiled at her. “Hey. Thank you. But don’t fight for me; you know what could happen.”</p>
<p>She nodded and crossed her arms, heading to her homeroom with a disgusted scowl on her face as she looked at Ruto and Darunia.</p>
<p>As soon as Darunia let Zelda go, Makeela hurried to take his place, though she held Zelda in a concerned hug rather than a restraining one. “I didn’t see what happened! Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“I’m fine,” Zelda muttered, watching Link head towards the office.</p>
<p>He turned around to look back at her and signed a quick “<em>thanks</em>” before spinning back around.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Zelda didn’t have a chance to talk to Link for the rest of the day. He’d been missing during ASL, and there was a test in Chemistry. It was also P.E. day rather than a study period, and it involved several teams, and she hadn’t been placed even remotely close to Link.</p>
<p>His motorcycle was gone almost the instant the bell rang, and she sighed, debating doing something that she might either regret or consider really stupid.</p>
<p>She drove to his work.</p>
<p>When she parked, she saw his motorcycle inside the open garage and hurried over.</p>
<p>The first person she saw was Gabe. He nodded to her. “Afternoon, can I help you?” But he looked at her a little longer and shook his head. “Wait, you were here last week, right? Link’s friend?”</p>
<p>Zelda noticed Pipit off to the side leaning on a tool bench with a textbook, a notebook and a focused expression.</p>
<p>“Yes. Is he here? I’ll be quick, I swear.”</p>
<p>“He’s here. No rush; he starts in fifteen. Hey Link, get out here a sec!” he called over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Link called, popping out of the back room. He was buttoning up his work coveralls over a different shirt. When he looked up, his hands faltered. “Zelda?”</p>
<p>She hurried toward him. “I’m so sorry.”</p>
<p>He shook his head and went down the two steps to meet her. “Don’t be. It’s fine. I’m used to it by now.”</p>
<p>“That’s not fair. You shouldn’t be. I don’t know what happened to him. He’s never <em>ever</em> been like this. I mean, I don’t think he’s ever <em>liked </em>you, but he’s never been so cruel to someone.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine, Zelda, really. I get it. Maybe he hates me, maybe he likes you. I don’t really know what his deal is. It’s just… I could get in serious trouble for fighting, that’s all.”</p>
<p>“Wait, what?”</p>
<p>Link made a face. “What… what?”</p>
<p>“All of it.”</p>
<p>He looked around and motioned for her to follow him into the back room. He gestured for her to sit in the desk chair and leaned against the wall.</p>
<p>“I go to our school on a scholarship grant. My tuition is mostly paid for because I’m an at-risk youth with a fighting chance at a half decent life. If I do anything wrong, I lose it and I’m mad scrambling to finish the year off somewhere else. And I’m almost 18, so I’m more likely to get charged as an adult thanks to my past. If I can make it to 25 without anymore blemishes to my name, my entire juvenile record is forgotten.”</p>
<p>“When did you start?”</p>
<p>He thought for a moment. “I was 12.”</p>
<p>Her eyes bugged out. “What can a 12-year-old do that gets them into trouble?”</p>
<p>With a sad smile, Link glanced at the door. “I’ll tell you another day, one when I’m not about to work.” He leaned back and turned to her again, this time with a more humorous expression. “And that peacock was fanning out his feathers, Princess. Revali likes you. And he doesn’t like that I’ve been around.”</p>
<p>“What? No! There’s no way he likes me.” She laughed uncomfortably as she thought about it. “No. Darunia and Sidon are around all the time and he doesn’t care.”</p>
<p>Link made a face. “Well, Sidon’s gay, so I don’t think he has to worry about him as competition. And Darunia has a thing for Ruto.”</p>
<p>“Do you actually pay attention to my friends?” she asked, standing up and leaning beside him.</p>
<p>“I pay attention to a lot of things. It happens when you’re a fly.”</p>
<p>“He doesn’t do that to Groose. Groose is horrible, but Revali doesn’t even react."</p>
<p>“And Ravio?”</p>
<p>“Well, he liked Rav. Why doesn’t he like you?”</p>
<p>He snorted. “Probably because you and I like each other.”</p>
<p>“Excuse me?”</p>
<p>Grinning, he leaned closer to her. “Platonically, of course, Princess.”</p>
<p>“Right.” She tried to process her jumbled thoughts. “I don’t like Revali that way. And after today, I don’t even know if I want to be his friend. That was… horrible.”</p>
<p>Link closed his eyes and shook his head, pissed at himself for even preparing to speak. “You should give him another chance, Zelda. Don’t lose a friend on my account.”</p>
<p>“You underestimate your worth, Link.”</p>
<p>She dared to close the rest of the gap between them, scooting over until the sides of their arms were barely touching. Both of their eyes snapped to the other, and when he didn’t pull away, she let herself rest a little more weight against him.</p>
<p>Her entire arm burned from the contact, every nerve alight with the feeling of him. And it wasn’t even his skin, just his sleeve. But it was the first intentional contact they’d both made, and neither was moving away.</p>
<p>“So, you have to get to work, right?”</p>
<p>He nodded slowly, his eyes on the clock. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>Zelda had to fight an inner part of herself as she looked at Link and stood in front of him. She held out her arms for a moment, a brief warning, before she pulled him into a hug, wrapping her arms around his waist.</p>
<p>“You deserve better, Link.”</p>
<p>His hands hovered at her sides, unsure what to do for a long second before tightly returning the gesture.</p>
<p>“It’s fine.”</p>
<p>It was a strange feeling, one he hadn’t felt in years. Ilia was a sister to him, and her embraces were comforting, but in a way that he understood. He’d had her in his life for years, and he had his own sister. Their hugs were ones from family. But he sure as hell didn’t think of Zelda as a sister, and her arms provided an entirely unfamiliar feeling of comfort, one he felt quickly addicted to.</p>
<p>Zelda had been with Ravio last year. His touch had made her hesitant, like she was being possessed, like she was <em>his</em>. But with Link, despite the things she knew about him, and despite how tightly he held her against him, she felt safe.</p>
<p>She didn’t feel <em>possessed,</em> she felt <em>wanted.</em></p>
<p>Finally, she pulled away, and despite every muscle inside them both, they let go of each other.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Zelda breathed. “I’ll get out of your hair. Go… be a grease monkey, or whatever you do.”</p>
<p>Link led her out of the back room. “I <em>am</em> doing a very exciting oil change in a bit.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry to have to miss it,” Zelda laughed as she left with a final wave.</p>
<p>Pipit and Gabe were watching him with curious expressions. “What was that?” Gabe asked aloud, though his hands signed along automatically for Pipit.</p>
<p>Link did the same. “I almost got into a fight this morning, and she was just checking on me.”</p>
<p>“You didn’t, right?” Gabe asked, concerned and pseudo-parental alarm taking over his expression. Gabe was the closest he had to a father these days. And Link and Pipit were the closest people Gabe had to sons.</p>
<p>“I didn’t. Be proud.”</p>
<p>Gabe patted Link’s shoulder. “I’m always proud.” He also shoved a wrench into Link’s hands. “Now get to work.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Revali in this fic is how I feel about him in BOTW. I love him in my brain, and then I see a clip of him saying anything to Link and I hate him again. So yeah, what's high school without a little hallway fight!? </p>
<p>Also, I did as much legal research as my non-lawyer self could do, so I have it as legit as I could google, like Link needing to keep a clean record for 5 years was something some lawyer site said. That goes for anything involving Link's legal stuff. I tried my best; some of it might not be totally accurate, but it's as good as I could find!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda sat on her bed with Makeela, staring at several dresses they’d lined up.</p>
<p>Homecoming was in an hour, and neither had chosen an outfit.</p>
<p>Saturday had appeared faster than she’d even imagined. Zelda had been distracted. Revali had been suspended until Monday and was not allowed at homecoming, though he’d been allowed to go to rehearsal for the play on Friday night.</p>
<p>She’d taken Link’s advice and tried to talk to Revali. And while he <em>seemed</em> sorry, she could also see that in many other ways, he wasn’t. He was an actor, after all. He still maintained that Zelda should <em>not</em> hang around Link, a statement to which Ruto and Darunia agreed with. She had to force herself to maintain a civil conversation with them.</p>
<p>“Red,” Makeela said, tapping the dark red dress vigorously before pulling the blue one for herself. Both girls already had their hair done. Zelda’s was as wavy as her naturally straight hair allowed, and Makeela’s was partially up with an intricate pomp that fell into a braid.</p>
<p>Zelda tugged at a strand of her own hair, debating. “I don’t know. I kind of wanted the white.”</p>
<p>But Makeela snatched the white one away and tossed it unceremoniously onto a chair. “No. The red is sexy, the white is cute.”</p>
<p>Zelda scoffed, but grabbed the red dress. “I don’t know who you think I want to look nice for. I’m officially going with you as my date now.”</p>
<p>“Wow,” Makeela said with a laugh. “I’m insulted. We’re going to be the best-dressed non-couple couple there. Try it on.”</p>
<p>Zelda rolled her eyes and ducked into the bathroom, leaving the door open a crack.</p>
<p>Which Makeela appreciated… because she wasn’t done talking.</p>
<p>“Listen, Zelda, power to you. You should love what you’re wearing, and if you’re more comfortable in the white, I’m not going to be insulted in any way. Dress for yourself. But don’t try and pretend that you have no one specific you’d like to take some notice of you.”</p>
<p>Zelda’s eyes widened, hands frozen with her dress midway up to stare at the wooden door. “What?”</p>
<p>“I get it,” Makeela continued, “Especially after how Revali reacted towards him, I can totally get why you didn’t tell us, but I’m kind of pissed that you thought I wouldn’t notice my best friend making googly eyes at the local bad boy of the school. I just wasn’t sure if <em>you </em>knew.”</p>
<p>Zelda grasped the sink and shook her head before pulling her dress the rest of the way. She waited for Makeela’s speech, like the rest of them had practically screamed into her ear.</p>
<p>“Zelda? Did you pass out? Need your pills?”</p>
<p>“No,” Zelda croaked. Honestly, she could almost feel her blood pressure drop, and she very well may need her salt pills.</p>
<p>“You do like Link, right?”</p>
<p>When Zelda didn’t answer again, Makeela peeked through the crack to check on her. They stared at each other for a long time before Zelda nodded.</p>
<p>“Have you two been talking? Or is it just a crush? Like, Revali treated him like shit. Was there a… well, not a <em>reason</em>… but a reason?”</p>
<p>“We’ve been talking,” Zelda admitted, still bracing herself for the brutal lecture the way the others had just relentlessly rammed into her at rehearsal. And she hadn’t even admitted anything to them; they’d just gone to town on their own.</p>
<p>Zelda held a piece of hair back, stressed out. “I really like him, but I can’t even have a conversation with him in public. The Revali thing? That was <em>my </em>fault. If I just hadn’t talked to Link, or been more cautious, Revali wouldn’t have freaked out. I could get him hurt. I mean, I’m sure he could defend himself physically, but gods… what have I done?”</p>
<p>“You didn’t do anything,” Makeela said quickly.</p>
<p>But Zelda didn’t have the chance to respond, not when her phone chimed loudly from her bed. It gave her a good reason to some space between her and Makeela.</p>
<p>It was from Link.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Ever owned a turtle?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No… why?”</em>
</p>
<p>Zelda flipped the phone to Makeela.</p>
<p>“Who’s Line?” she asked before shaking her head. “Link.” She scrolled a little bit and smiled when she saw that they occasionally sent each other random pictures. But she handed Zelda the phone back quickly. “He’s messaging you.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“No reason. Just wanted to know if you were near your phone for a second. I’m struggling with this thing I’m supposed to wear. Mildly embarrassing that I have to display my shameful ineptitude at something, but can I ask you if you know how to get this on?”</em>
</p>
<p>Zelda felt herself smile and turned the phone to Makeela. “He’s not a bad person.”</p>
<p>“Respond to him. I want to know what he asks.”</p>
<p>“Trust me, it’s not going to be <em>anything</em> that you’re thinking,” Zelda chuckled, glancing back to her phone.</p>
<p>A few seconds later, she got a picture of Link’s wrist with a watch dangling off it. The clasp was unique, but not unfamiliar to her. It was the same as many bracelets she’d worn, and admittedly struggled with.</p>
<p>“Do you think he knows how and he’s just flirting?” Makeela asked, looking over her shoulder.</p>
<p>Zelda gasped, not even thinking of that possibility. “Is he?”</p>
<p>And the second the words left Zelda’s mouth, she realized just how much she needed someone to talk to.</p>
<p>“Tell him you’ll help him in person,” Makeela said, far too giddy with excitement.</p>
<p>And with a nervous bite of her lip, that’s exactly what Zelda said.</p>
<hr/>
<p>About six minutes before homecoming officially began, Zelda sat in Makeela’s car anxiously fiddling with the thin strap on her dress. Makeela and Zelda had joked in the past about how they both wanted what the other had. Zelda wasn’t busty enough to feel comfortable enough to wear a strapless dress at a dance, and Makeela was too shapely to ever wear dresses that Zelda could without needing to rely on a bra.</p>
<p>So Makeela enviously eyed Zelda’s low-backed, A-line, satin red dress, and Zelda longed for Makeela’s embellished, strapless, blue, tuille dress.</p>
<p>But unlike Makeela, who preferred sneakers every day of her life, and opted for a clean white pair to sport-up her dress, Zelda wore heels, making her taller than usual. She’d had plenty of practice after going to events with her parents that heels were almost too familiar, though she knew they probably shouldn’t be for someone her age. Half the girls wore heels to these events and ended up running around barefoot, but Zelda’s were worn and comfortable, not new and tightly pinched to her foot that every step caused a new torturous blister.</p>
<p>“Do you want to go in?” Makeela asked.</p>
<p>Zelda nodded after looking around, unable to see any sign of Link.</p>
<p>They walked in arm-in-arm, earning an amused laugh from Mr. Auru, one of the chaperones. “The troublemakers are in.”</p>
<p>“We don’t talk <em>that </em>much in class,” Zelda protested.</p>
<p>But that just earned an exaggerated expression of disbelief from Mr. Auru. “I need to get my hearing checked then, since apparently I hear echoes. You only speak once and then I just keep hearing your voices nonstop.”</p>
<p>Makeela just laughed guiltily. “Okay, we might talk a little too often, but that’s not the worst thing we could do. We’re not troublemakers.”</p>
<p>“Mhmm,” he hummed. “Give Mrs. Uli your tickets.”</p>
<p>And for about ten minutes, Makeela and Zelda danced together along the edge of the auditorium. They both had to admit that Zelda was the better dancer of the two, if only thanks to theater, but if Revali had been present, he’d have outshone Zelda. But, better than all of them—and often cast as the principle dancer in most of the plays anyway—was Sidon. They could see his tall head popping out over the crowd, but he appeared to be talking to someone unseen.</p>
<p>“Holy fucking hell…”</p>
<p>Zelda’s ears perked at the familiar voice and she turned around to see Link staring at her in the most unabashed way she’d ever been looked at. And she’d have turned redder than her dress if she didn’t have the same reaction to him, though hers had been silent.</p>
<p>Link was in a pair of black dress pants, a black belt, a black tie, black shoes, and a navy-blue dress shirt. His hair was neat, and his sleeves were rolled up just before his elbow. He was holding a jacket in his hand, letting it drag along the floor without a care, and the other was dug deep into his pocket.</p>
<p>Zelda felt genuinely dizzy, her chest constricting and losing a lot of air before realizing she’d actually begun to breathe faster. The shirt was a little big on him, but he’d tucked it in enough that it flattered him too well for Zelda’s sanity. She could feel her heartrate pounding away in her throat, and she legitimately felt her stomach twitch a few times from the butterflies that were honestly trying to murder her from the inside.</p>
<p>When she’d gotten to his face, even in the oddly bright lighting of the auditorium, she could see that his pupils had totally blown as his eyes raked over her. It looked like he’d been wandering in the dark woods for hours. And when his eyes caught up to hers, she watched him visibly let out a long breath as she swallowed hers down.</p>
<p>Heedless of Ilia or Makeela, both of whom were watching with keen interest, Link shook his head. “You look incredible.”</p>
<p>And Zelda boldly found herself taking a step towards him, watching his chest rapidly rise and fall from her sudden invasion of his personal bubble. “You’re looking pretty sharp yourself, Link.” And gods, she never considered herself to be the most forward person, but she reached out to take his tie in her hand, letting her thumb run along a small line of metal. “You even have a tie clip? Impressive.”</p>
<p>Link’s mouth worked, but no sound came out until he cleared his throat. “Gabe…” he tried, but his voice was high pitched with nerves. He cleared his throat one more time, managing to return it to normal. “Gabe lent me everything.”</p>
<p>But his eyes landed on Makeela, like he finally realized that other people existed. And this was one of Zelda’s friends.</p>
<p>“She’s fine,” Zelda said quickly when she saw his eyes narrow suspiciously.</p>
<p>His eyes didn’t rest there. They moved around the crowded room, stopping when he saw Darunia and taking a step away from Zelda almost like it was engrained in him to do so, to get away from her before anyone could turn on her for daring to speak to him.</p>
<p>Because if he had it his way, he’d talk with her all night. He might even get up the courage to ask her to dance.</p>
<p>But he liked her too much to risk someone strolling up to her in a jumpsuit because they saw her talking to him.</p>
<p>“Gods, I need a fucking cigarette,” he muttered to himself as he kept stepping away.</p>
<p>“I have them,” Ilia said, patting her bag. “Go outside. Maybe Zelda can go help you with that watch that we couldn’t figure out. Here.” She quickly pulled out one cigarette from the box and tucked it into Link’s hand. “You have your lighter, right?”</p>
<p>“No,” he said, but it was addressed to Zelda, not Ilia. “You might get caught by Mrs. Joy, and you’ll just come back in smelling like smoke.”</p>
<p>“I have body spray, and you have gum,” Ilia shot back, as if Zelda wasn’t there. It was clearly an argument that didn’t <em>actually</em> involve Zelda.</p>
<p>But gods, Zelda found that of the two nervous wrecks that they were around each other, she was the one who was only slightly <em>less</em> of a mess. “I don’t mind, Link, but if you don’t want company, just say so.”</p>
<p>“No!” he said again, though a bit more urgently. “I mean… yes. Uh… fine. You want to…?” He gestured to the door to the locker rooms, a discreet way past the chaperones to the outside.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She turned to Makeela.</p>
<p>“Yeah, go. I’ve got you covered in here.”</p>
<p>It wasn’t until they’d made their way safely outside that Link even managed to turn to Zelda. “She knows we’re hanging out?”</p>
<p>“She figured it out, yeah,” Zelda admitted. “Like Ilia, I’m guessing.”</p>
<p>He scoffed, but he wasn’t upset. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>Zelda stood beside him for an awkward moment before gesturing to his wrist. “Want me to try your watch?”</p>
<p>Link hummed in agreement and pulled it from his pocket, letting it drop into her hand.</p>
<p>“Gabe has nice taste,” she said, examining it before stopping as he held out his wrist. “Wait. You’re left-handed, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” he said with a grin, surprised she’d noticed such a small detail.</p>
<p>“Other wrist then.”</p>
<p>He held his right wrist out to her and she fumbled with the clasp, especially when she felt the small jolt that ran through her when Link’s skin brushed hers. But she recovered and managed to snap the clasp into place.</p>
<p>“Thank you.”</p>
<p>“Of course,” she said, smiling at him too sweetly. He couldn’t look at her without feeling overwhelmed by everything about her again.</p>
<p>He popped the cigarette into his mouth, fishing in his pocket for his lighter and leaning heavily against the building before looking back at where Zelda was staring at him. He quickly pulled it from between his lips. “Oh, I didn’t even ask if you’re okay with this? Want me to go… over there? I mean, I don’t <em>have</em> to smoke if you don’t want me to.”</p>
<p>“No, no, I’m sorry. Go ahead. I wasn’t staring at you because of that.”</p>
<p>“No?”</p>
<p>Rolling her eyes, Zelda  just made a face, no other way to safely answer that.</p>
<p>He dropped his jacket down on the opposite side of the wind and gestured for Zelda to sit on it as he slid into the grass himself and taking a deep breath once he’d lit the cigarette.</p>
<p>“Go ahead; sit,” he finally said, leaning back into the wall as a long cloud of smoke blew away from her and up into the sky.</p>
<p>Zelda stared down at his jacket. “I don’t want to ruin it in the grass. I’ll just stand.”</p>
<p>“Sit down, Princess.”</p>
<p>Scoffing, she did, if only to prove that she wasn’t a princess.</p>
<p>She watched him take a few more lung-fulls before cocking her head at him. “Does it like… taste good?”</p>
<p>He followed her gaze to his cigarette. “It’s fine. It’s a poor substitute for a steak in terms of taste though.” But he narrowed his eyes. “You want to try it, don’t you?”</p>
<p>“Kind of, yeah,” she admitted. If there was one thing she never wanted to say when she was older, it was that she’d never tried things, even a few things she might regret.</p>
<p>He smiled sadly at her. “I’d rather you didn’t credit me with any potential future addictions to these things. Never had one at all, right?”</p>
<p>“No. But I get what you mean. I’ll try it out some other time.”</p>
<p>He scoffed and held out his hand, offering it to her. “If you’re going to do it anyway, better not to waste your money on a pack if you don’t like them.”</p>
<p>“Do I just… breathe?”</p>
<p>It looked like Link was in physical pain as he watched her, but he made a sucking motion with his lips to demonstrate.</p>
<p>She copied him and sucked in the smoke.</p>
<p>And began coughing violently as it overwhelmed her, the taste burning on her tongue.</p>
<p>“Oh gods!” she spat. “This is not <em>nearly</em> as good as it smells.” She kept coughing and felt Link’s hand hesitantly on her back.</p>
<p>She jolted at the contact of his skin on hers, but she was able to just keep coughing and pass her reaction to his touch off as nothing other than smoke. Though, the coughs weren’t a lie as her body essentially scolded her for her action.</p>
<p>“Ugh, I want to throw up. That was disgusting.”</p>
<p>“Can’t say I’m not pleased,” he chuckled, finally bringing his arm back to himself as she calmed down. He dug into his back pocket and handed her a pack of gum. “For the taste.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” she muttered, plucking a stick out. “How long have you been tolerating those things?”</p>
<p>He looked at it curiously, as if it held the answer. “I think I was 13 when I had my first one?”</p>
<p>“What? <em>Who</em> gave you a cigarette at 13?”</p>
<p>His expression softened and he took a long drag before finally looking back at her. “I stole them, mostly. Started out when I took some of my dad’s. He caught me and made me smoke a whole pack in front of him. I threw up. He thought that was the end, but then I started to take them from him, from others, from whoever would give me one. For a while, it was the only thing that ever calmed me down.”</p>
<p>“Your dad…” she muttered. He just nodded, knowing it was the first time he’d ever talked about a family member in any sort of detail. Zelda tugged her legs closer to herself as she turned more fully to Link, slightly turning the conversation for his sake. “Are you addicted?”</p>
<p>Smirking, Link turned to her. “Depends. I literally can’t afford to really be addicted. I only have a few a day now, but if I don’t have those few, I’ll feel it. And I’ve tried and failed to quit in the past, so I’ll go with yes, but I’m not a chain smoker or whatever you’re thinking.”</p>
<p>“<em>Literally</em> can’t afford it?”</p>
<p>Spinning the cigarette in his fingers, Link leaned back and lolled his head towards Zelda. “They’re expensive. I can’t afford to go through several packs a week.”</p>
<p>“Are you afraid of like… lung problems?”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “I don’t have the time to try to quit again.”</p>
<p>“What’s that mean?”</p>
<p>Link leaned against his arm, closer to her. “You get pissed, you can’t sleep, you get horrible headaches. I can’t go to work, hold a circuit board and have a coughing fit. Or I can’t greet people at a desk and snap at them instead. I just don’t have the time to put into quitting right now.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry. That must be hard.”</p>
<p>“Don’t be sorry. You didn’t make me do this.”</p>
<p>Zelda was intrigued now. “Does your dad still smoke? Or your sister? You said you live with her, right?”</p>
<p>That had Link genuinely smiling again. He’d mentioned his living situation in passing. Two details she’d remembered.</p>
<p>“My sister hates it. She <em>hates</em> that I reek of it. I just… can’t stop. It’s the one thing I get to indulge in, and I don’t want to lose it.” He pushed his hair away and took another breath. “I don’t think my dad smokes, but maybe he can. I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in two years.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” she whispered, unsure what was acceptable to say. “Do you miss him?”</p>
<p>Link sniffed in a breath of air and leaned forward heavily. “<em>Fuck no</em>. He’s in prison and I hope he stays there.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” she said again. That wasn’t something she was willing to ask him about without him offering it.</p>
<p>But she was surprised when he <em>did</em> offer it.</p>
<p>First, he pulled out his phone and pulled up the unobscured version of his wallpaper. Him, Ilia, Pipit, and another boy.</p>
<p>“This was my best friend, Mikau. Stuck with me through all the stupid shit I’ve ever done and gotten into. Met him when I was seven or eight. He was a neighbor, two years older than me. His family gave me a home when I was kicked out of mine. His uncle was Gabe, actually. It’s how I met him. They all taught me how to fix things, and we built my bike together. It was meant to be Mikau’s.”</p>
<p>Link wrung out his jaw and took a <em>long</em> breath, shaking his head in disgust.</p>
<p>Zelda found her hand on top of his. “You don’t have to tell me anything, Link.”</p>
<p>The smoke slowly trickled out of his mouth as he stared at their hands for a moment before turning his over and lacing his fingers through hers. His eyes were blank and unseeing, and Zelda wasn’t even sure he knew what he was looking at or doing. But despite the jolts she felt on her skin at the contact, she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.</p>
<p>Link looked at his spent cigarette and smushed it under his foot before flicking it a little way away. To Zelda, he looked absolutely torn between wanting to tell her, and something that was holding him back.</p>
<p>So, when he started to play with her fingers, running the tips of his along the length of hers, and tracing a distracting pattern onto the top of her hand, she did everything in her power not to react, to let him work through whatever was in his mind.</p>
<p>“Have you… um…” Link started, struggling for the words. “Have you ever been in a car accident?”</p>
<p>“Not as the driver, but I was in a few with my parents.”</p>
<p>He nodded and let go of her hand, leaning forward again, shifting anxiously. One of his hands rested subconsciously on his shoulder. “I was in a bad one. I hadn’t even been home from juvie for a year, and I’d spent a lot of that time with Mikau just figuring out how to get my shit together. He made me a better person. He was my fucking brother in every way that counts.”</p>
<p>Zelda’s heart clenched as his face changed and darkened. <em>Was.</em></p>
<p>“I’d just turned 15, he was 17, and we’d gotten stuck without gas down at the park after playing basketball. And instead of walking home, we called my dad for a ride. I just thought it was my dad being an asshole, and that’s why he was acting so weird. I just wasn’t paying enough attention.”  </p>
<p>Zelda stared at him, unfortunately able to see where this was going. He’d begun to shake, rocking back and forth as enraged and pained tears stung his eyes at the memory. She lightly put her hand on his arm, and he grabbed it, clutching onto her hard as if she was the only thing keeping him from falling into his thoughts.</p>
<p>“I can’t remember anything after he picked us up,” he admitted. “I woke up in the hospital, fresh out of surgery. I had no idea what was happening to me, or to my dad, or Mikau. I didn’t remember getting there, but the police said they still needed my statement. I was finally was told we’d all been flung from the car. It flipped down a hill when he’d swerved to avoid <em>nothing</em>. I was fucked up, but it was just bones. They said my brain was protecting me, and that’s why I can’t remember it. I only know the stories I was told.</p>
<p>“Turns out my dad was drunk when he picked us up. He went to prison; guilty of first-degree vehicular manslaughter. He got Mikau killed in the accident. I won’t see my father until I’m almost fifty. And I’ve never been more fine with anything in my life.</p>
<p>“I was going crazy when he died, Zel. I <em>really</em> wasn’t okay after that. I went to therapy three times a week. It was court mandated and I was monitored by my social worker while I lived with my grandparents to make sure I didn’t flip back to my old habits.</p>
<p>“My older sister came in and saved me after all that. She’s the only reason I’m still straight after it all. Because damn, I wanted to break every window I saw. I wanted to key every car. I wanted to fight every person who looked at me. I wanted to take every drug all at once. I wanted to smoke until I burned my lungs. She’s the only reason I didn’t do any of it.</p>
<p>“She petitioned for guardianship over me. My grandparents were old and getting sick. Aryll was financially independent, had insurance I could get on, had time to keep me safe when she quit school. She gave everything up for me, and she eventually got custody. I still live with her, and I work three jobs while she’s at school. She went back on a few scholarships when we got a little on our feet. We agreed it was her time when I was able to help out more with money.”</p>
<p>Zelda tightened her grip on him again, stunned at what he’d been willing to share with her. And her heart broke for him.</p>
<p>“She sounds incredible.”</p>
<p>“She’s my hero,” he said with a smirk, finally stopping himself from rocking back and forth. “I’d never do anything to hurt her. Even when Mikau died, I managed to keep my shit fairly together for her sake. I’ve never gone back to jail.”</p>
<p>Link ran his free hand through his hair and stared at Zelda for a long moment. “You’re the only person I’ve ever told that story to. Ilia, Pip, Gabe, my sister… they lived it with me. My therapist got a whole report from my social worker. You’re the only one I ever <em>told</em>. Did I scare you off?”</p>
<p>Zelda shook her head quickly. “No. I’m just… I’m so sorry that happened. I can’t even imagine. Thanks for trusting me.”</p>
<p>Link made a face. “I don’t even know why I told you. I don’t know you. Not really. I just… wanted to.” And for the first time in his conscious brain, he noticed where Zelda’s hand was tight around his arm. “Mind if I ask something?”</p>
<p>“No. Of course, go ahead.”</p>
<p>“You ever… lose someone? Doesn’t need to be death.”</p>
<p>Zelda settled a little closer to him. “Not really, no. I lost my grandparents. I only have one. I’ve never knew or leaned how to say the word grand…grandfather. It sounds so weird when I say it, like it’s a foreign word to me. I lost my dad’s mom a few years ago, but we knew it was coming. Cancer.”</p>
<p>Link nodded and moved closer to Zelda, too. “I’m sorry about that.”</p>
<p>Zelda bit her lip and leaned her head onto Link’s shoulder, still holding his arm. She felt him stiffen for a moment before relaxing and letting his own head rest against hers.</p>
<p>“It was a while ago. It’s fine,” she said, dismissively.</p>
<p>“All right.” He glanced down at her. “Anyone ever tell you you’re easy to talk to?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think so, no.”</p>
<p>She could feel him nod again. “You are. Thank you for letting me dump a shit ton of baggage on the ground.”</p>
<p>“Anytime.”</p>
<p>They settled into a comfortable silence, and Zelda found her eyes closing against him, so comfortable, even outside while wearing a dress.</p>
<p>But after a while, her eyes snapped open a while later when she remembered where they were.</p>
<p>“Link?” she asked, tapping him. He hummed, like he too had closed his eyes and was waking up. “We should get back inside soon.”</p>
<p>“Fuck,” he muttered. “Yeah, I sort of forgot we were at a dance.”</p>
<p>“Same.”</p>
<p>They looked at each other at once and grinned. An easy admission.</p>
<p>“Wait,” Zelda said, keeping him from getting up. She grabbed her phone that she’d unceremoniously dumped in the grass when she’d followed Link. It had several messages from Makeela and some others. Makeela ended her long thread of spam with a winking face, while others said “hope you’re feeling better” or “hope you’re alright soon. It’s crazy in here.” She assumed Makeela had covered for her by saying she was sick.</p>
<p>But she ignored the messages and swiped the camera on her phone. “See?” she said, switching the screen to face her and Link. “This is what a good quality picture of us would look like.”</p>
<p>She held it out and took one with Link unprepared, mostly just for fun. And she convinced him to take a few, from a serious one to a goofy one. He took the phone from her for a better angle and she felt herself laughing as she let him take it.</p>
<p>He took one normal one, but she felt his fingers brush her skin, and she made a surprised face. Which—she realized a little too late—had been intentional on Link’s part when he took a perfectly timed picture.</p>
<p>Link pulled away laughing, bringing some space back between them as the air became thick and harder to breathe the longer they looked at each other. His eyes were lit up with joy, but also by the screen he was staring at. And he spun it around to show her that he’d caught the moment, her entire expression betraying her excited surprise, her eyes facing him, but her mouth open in a gasp.</p>
<p>Entirely unflattering, but she kind of loved it.</p>
<p>And so did Link.</p>
<p>Link… in the picture he looked so—dare she think it—flirty. He was looking at her with one of those looks that could so easily cause her stomach to become assaulted by butterflies.</p>
<p>Like it was doing in real life now.</p>
<p>He scooted to his feet and began tapping a few things into her phone.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” she asked, starting to chase him across the grass as he kept moving away.</p>
<p>“Nothing.”</p>
<p>“Wait, what are you doing?” she tried again.</p>
<p>But he was chuckling until the color of the lit-up screen changed on his face. He locked her phone and held it out for her.</p>
<p>She took it and made a face at him before looking around for anything suspicious. He hadn’t closed the apps entirely, so she could see that the last thing he’d done had been messages. And the last person who’d been texted was “Line”. He’d sent himself the pictures they’d just taken.</p>
<p>She looked back up at him, biting her lip as she shook her head.</p>
<p>“What?” he asked, though he was red with embarrassed shyness. “I looked good in those.”</p>
<p>“Oh, of course.”</p>
<p>He ran his hand along his mouth and tried to literally wipe the grin off his face. “You should go back in first.”</p>
<p>Nodding, she pulled the door open.</p>
<p>“Wait,” he said quickly, hurrying over to her. “Just… thanks again. For… for coming out here with me.”</p>
<p>“Anytime, Link. I like being with you,” she admitted.</p>
<p>His head bobbed as he backed up, his eyes darting all around her until he spun back towards the school and she was out of sight.</p>
<p>And the <em>second</em> he couldn’t see her, he felt his grin widen.</p>
<p>Pulling out his phone, he was a little too excited to see that all the pictures had gone through, looking at it for a moment before snapping his phone closed.</p>
<p>“Fucking hell, Link,” he muttered to himself, though he couldn’t stop the excitement he felt as he headed back inside, even if he knew that for now, they wouldn’t be able to talk to each other or dance, or be close.</p>
<p>For now, a moment outside with her was enough.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh look! Zelda has one friend who isn't the actual worst! And we got some Link background! I did my best, again, with all the legal stuff, so forgive some inaccuracies with it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For perhaps the sixth time, Zelda took her hair down and ran her fingers through it, debating… again… whether she should just leave her hair down or tie it up. Down. But her bureau was a mess. Pushing all her pills and makeup off to the side, it looked vaguely neater. Her room was neat as a pin, but she needed it to be <em>cleaner</em>.</p><p>Zelda reflected on how she ended up in her predicament in the first place.</p><p>Earlier that day, she’d texted Link to gush about how excited she was for <em>Moonlight Howl</em>.</p><p>But Link had sent her a sad face. <em>“I can’t watch tonight. Pipit isn’t going to be home, and if he doesn’t watch a show, I can’t watch it.”</em></p><p><em>“That’s loyalty,”</em> she’d said. She couldn’t say the same about her own friends. She and Makeela had watched without Ruto and then pretend they never knew a thing.</p><p>
  <em>“Lol no, it’s loyalty by default. I don’t have a tv. I go over on Sunday nights to watch.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Come here and watch then.”</em>
</p><p>And gods… though it had taken some convincing that she really didn’t mind his company, he’d agreed.</p><p>She’d never called Makeela so fast. In fact, she rarely actually <em>called</em>, so when Makeela picked up, she sounded worried.</p><p>“Zelda?”</p><p>“I invited Link over to watch <em>Moonlight Howl</em> tonight and he said yes. Is it a date? Did I ask him on a date? I did, didn’t I? Unless he doesn’t see it that way. Do I see it that way? Which way do you see it? Oh gods, am I just making a big deal about absolutely nothing? What do I wear? I mean… no matter what I can’t wear my pajama pants, so what do I do?”</p><p>And that’s how Zelda had changed three times on a Sunday when she didn’t even plan to leave the house.</p><p>Zelda stared at herself in her mirror. She was in a white tank top that she’d tucked into a pair of jeans, and she had a light, floral, open cardigan over it. If it had been Monday, she’d never get away with a tank top, especially if her shoulders could be seen if it slipped even for a second. She was grateful it was still Sunday.</p><p>Her phone rang. She’d offered to order food and invited him a bit earlier, despite Moonlight Howl starting at 8 with a rerun of last week’s episode, and a new one at 9pm. Gods, it was <em>such</em> a date.</p><p>“Yeah?” she asked Link.</p><p>“Okay, listen, am I lost or are you a lot richer than I thought? I’m in the posh part of town now.”</p><p>“We’re… comfortable.”</p><p>“Gods, you’re a millionaire in one of these mansions, aren’t you? Which one of these is yours again? You said the Hylian flag is up but like, there’s a lot of them around here.”</p><p>“Rev your engine or something,” she said, hurrying to her window. She could hear it in her ear, but she could also hear a distant echo outside. “Okay, I can hear you, but you’re not on my street yet. I’ll go outside. Which street are you on?”</p><p>She took the stairs quickly and wished his phone had a GPS because listening to him was making the butterflies in her stomach so much worse.</p><p>“Milk Road.”</p><p>“So close. Left at the end and go until you see Castle Street. Take a right and go until you find me waving around in the road.”</p><p>“The things I do for <em>Moonlight Howl</em>,” he joked before hanging up.</p><p>She fixed her hair several times as she stood outside. She flipped the phone in her hand several times until she could hear the hum of his motorcycle. She played with the chain on her neck until she had to wave at Link.</p><p>His reaction was about as she’d expected.</p><p>He pulled up and his mouth fell as he pulled off his helmet and stared at the house. “Good Hylia, you live in a palace.”</p><p>“It’s not <em>that</em> big,” she muttered. “You can park in the…” she made a face. Gods, she didn’t want to sound rich. “You can park in the garage,” she finished, closing her eyes and gesturing.</p><p>Link rolled forward, his eyes on Zelda’s car in the driveway. “Oh no way you’re not parked inside for fun. How many cars do you guys have?”</p><p>She hesitated and shook her head before clearing her throat. “Three,” she squeaked out. She’d never felt particularly <em>embarrassed</em> about her money, but Link was looking at her like she actually was a Princess of Hyrule and drank golden water.</p><p>“What do your parents do again?” he asked.</p><p>“They’re both high ups at an advertising agency. They’re at work now, too. I wouldn’t expect to meet them. They aren’t coming home until after school starts tomorrow.”</p><p>“Why so late… or early?” he cut the engine and left his helmet on the handlebars as she closed the garage door.</p><p>“They work with people everywhere, but especially in Holdrum. Holdrum’s workday is the middle of the night for us, and then my parents have their normal work hours, so most of the time they just stay at the office on those days.”</p><p>Link looked around the garage, absently picking up a tool off a box. “I won’t lie, I’m kind of glad for my sake: I’d be a little intimidated to meet your parents and see your crazy ass house for the first time all in the same day.”</p><p>She grinned over at him, meeting his near-flirty gaze. Or maybe it was just his general expression. Maybe she had been misreading <em>everything</em>, she thought, starting to panic.</p><p>No, there was no way she’d made everything up in her mind.</p><p>Was this a date? Or were they just friends hanging out? Somewhere in between the two, maybe?</p><p>“Want to go inside the ‘crazy ass house?’” she asked, a little too intrigued as she watched him languidly peel off his jacket. He was left in a light Indigo-Go’s sweatshirt, and jeans. Her eyes darted to the older design, relieved for a distraction that made her weak-kneed in a much nerdier way: the way he wore their favorite band’s sweatshirt. "Oh, I love that! Was that from their second album?”</p><p>He looked down at himself and chuckled before following her into the house. “I think it might have been their third, but you’re probably right.” And as he stepped into a wide-open space, he couldn’t help the choked noise he made as he looked around. “Fucking Hylia…”</p><p>The main room of her house was a large living room, bookcases and a desk with a closed laptop on top. There were two long couches that faced a massive tv in the corner, electronics and speakers surrounding it like a home theater. And through an archway, it led to a hall with several closed doors, and one wide open arch to a dining room.</p><p>She pointed at the closed doors. “My parents’ offices and their study, and then a guest room.”</p><p>“A guest room,” Link repeated, still taking in the high ceilings, or the array of electronics he had to hold himself back from examining.</p><p>She led him through the dining room where he could see the kitchen. It was <em>huge</em>, with a massive island in the middle and several barstools around it, a double-doored fridge, and an oversized electric stove.</p><p>“Do you cook?” he asked, running a finger across the marble countertop.</p><p>“I’d starve if I couldn’t. I make myself dinner most days. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat though. What do you like?”</p><p>“Anything. I’ll eat grass if I’m hungry enough,” he laughed.</p><p>She snorted, but from his expression, she was willing to bet that he’d absolutely tried eating grass at least once before. She couldn’t say she’d ever felt the desire to give that a shot.</p><p>“Can <em>you</em> cook?”</p><p>He offered her an easy grin. “I’d starve if I couldn’t.” She rolled her eyes at his playfully mocking repetition of her words. “Believe it or not, I actually eat a meal or two on occasion. My sister either works, is at school, or stays with her boyfriend, so I had to learn how to eat more than cereal after a while.”</p><p>“Yeah you said she’s at school. What’s she study?”</p><p>He followed her from the kitchen, taking in every sight as she led him to the curved stairway.</p><p>“She studies sociology to be a social worker. She wants to help a bunch of younger versions of me, but I threw all her plans off a bit when she took me in.”</p><p>“What’s that mean exactly?” Zelda asked, allowing herself to push for explanation on one thing.</p><p>Link sheepishly shoved his hands into his pockets. “Aryll was in college when my dad went to jail. She dropped out and came home to fight for legal guardianship of me so I didn’t end up in the system after our grandparents started to get more sick. Besides, they aren’t my biggest fans. I’m their biggest disappointment. Their words, not mine.”</p><p>Zelda stopped mid-step and turned to him, leaning on the banister as she did. “That’s a horrible thing to say to someone.”</p><p>Link made a face. “You didn’t know me then. I was a waste of money that we didn’t have. We borrowed from them often to pay off fines that I owed. They didn’t like my friends or my choices. And they were right, in the long run, weren’t they?”</p><p>Hastily, Zelda grabbed Link’s hand. “I don’t know what you did, but they weren’t right.”</p><p>He looked at their joined hands and let his thumb run once along her skin before letting her go. “You’ve always been a good person. I haven’t.”</p><p>“Stop saying that,” she muttered, clearing the rest of the steps. She led him to a small but cozy room with a large television, a desk that had a closed laptop and lamp, and a small couch. There were a few other things in the corners, but they weren’t apart of the room, just clutter with nowhere else to call home. “Here’s where I prefer to watch <em>Moonlight Howl</em>. Unless you’re opposed to sharing the couch, which I totally understand, and we can just watch it downstairs.”</p><p>“Nope, not a problem with me.” Link stepped into the room and looked around. “How many televisions do you have?”</p><p>Zelda sighed and pushed him out of the room. “I’m not answering that one.”</p><p>He chuckled and pointed to a different closed door. “That your room?”</p><p>She felt her face warm up as she nodded, making a soft affirmative sound. And she felt her feet carry her to her door, pushing it open and stepping aside with her arms crossed, an invitation for him to look inside.</p><p>He watched her carefully, though his eyes narrowed in a way that pulled up the corner of his mouth at the same time, and she felt that never-ending assault on her stomach, and shivers down her spine that made her hot and cold at once as she thought of Link in her room.</p><p>He didn’t breach the doorway, but he did look around, nodding as he did before turning back to her. “What are all the trophies for?”</p><p>“Oh, I used to do archery. I ended up choosing theater over it though.”</p><p>“Were you good? I can’t see what place you got or if they’re participation trophies.”</p><p>She scoffed. “Oh please, <em>participation</em>. Those are all first and second place trophies. Don’t be mean to me; I can shoot an apple off your head.”</p><p>Link laughed. “I knew there was a good reason you make me nervous.” He didn’t give her a chance to think too long on <em>that</em>. “It looks so normal. I expected a giant poster of that theater guy with the weird mask and a cardboard cutout of Fredrick Wolf at the foot of your bed.”</p><p>“You thought the Phantom and Fredrick would be in my room? I’d wake up and have a stroke. Besides, I’d want a cutout of Castor, not Fredrick.”</p><p>“Of course you would.”</p><p>“You’d have Lacey, wouldn’t you?”</p><p>Link backed out of her doorway and bit down hard on his lip, a flustered look on his face as he made for the stairs, red creeping up his face. “Nah. I’d go with Amalia. She is a <em>princess</em>, after all.”</p><p>
  <em>Gods.</em>
</p><p>Zelda had to hurry past him so he couldn’t see the burning red in her face, though she could hear his nervous laughter as he followed her outside.</p><p>And she felt his hand on her arm, stopping her.</p><p>“Zelda. Is that a trampoline?”</p><p>Zelda laughed. “Yes. Go ahead and jump on it if you want.”</p><p>“Fuck yes,” he muttered, kicking off his shoes. “Do you know how long it’s been since I was on one of these things?” Zelda followed him, watching him crawl into the netted trampoline. He gave it a few experimental bounces. “I used to be able to do tricks.”</p><p>“Impress me, Link,” Zelda said, getting comfortable.</p><p>“Doubtful,” he laughed, but moved to the center, jump again and again until he finally managed to flip himself backwards. He landed on his knees, falling into the side net as he just kept bouncing.</p><p>But Zelda <em>was </em>impressed. And she didn’t need him to land a trick to enjoy watching him laugh.</p><p>“You coming in?” Link breathed, already tired from the effort he hadn’t put in in a while.</p><p>And after taking her own shoes off, she climbed inside and knelt beside Link. “I am impressed.”</p><p>“Your turn,” he challenged. “Impress <em>me.”</em></p><p>“I can’t flip,” she warned, standing unsteadily as she and Link both tried to avoid rocking too much. But she got comfortable. It had been a while since she’d taken the time to actually use this, and she started jumping. Link grabbed the netting to stay off to the side. Finally she was high enough that she was able to do a split.</p><p>She landed on her feet, but her knee gave out as it landed just when the trampoline caved down, and she went flying, laughing as she hit the side just next to him.</p><p>She felt his hands on her waist, suddenly standing next to her, like he was steadying her despite the net… like a reaction he didn’t mean for.</p><p>Hastily letting go of her, Link stepped back and started to jump again. He and Zelda tried to keep up some sort of compromise that kept them both on their feet, but it wasn’t long before their conflicting jumps had them both toppling over into each other, laughing, close to tears.</p><p>So they laid together for a while.</p><p>At first, it felt awkward to be so close. Zelda had collapsed onto Link, and rolled off of him, but the bend they’d created from their combined weight had it nearly impossible to stop their arms from resting comfortably against one another’s.</p><p>“You know I have a pool too,” Zelda said after a while.</p><p>Link’s head swiveled to hers, so close he could feel her rapid breaths. “You’ll think I’m crazy, but I can’t swim.”</p><p>She turned into him a bit more, intrigued. “Really?”</p><p>“Never had an opportunity to learn.”</p><p>“I have pool floats. You can ride the dolphin. And we have a hot tub.”</p><p>Link’s lips tipped up. “You’re just trying to get me to take off my shirt, aren’t you?”</p><p>Well, there was no hiding <em>that</em> level of flirting.</p><p>Zelda covered her mouth, feeling everything about her burn. “N-no!”</p><p>But his eyes, gods, she wanted to throw herself into the un-heated, cold pool. And maybe drag him shirtless with her.  </p><p>“I-I mean…” she couldn’t breathe when he looked at her like that, so unabashed and undeniably suggestive. So, she gave in. “It wasn’t my motive, but I can’t deny it might be a side benefit.”</p><p>His eyebrows shot up, surprised she’d let herself take that bait.</p><p>He cleared his throat and nodded, accepting that she’d won that one. But for his own sake, he <em>needed</em> to change the subject.</p><p>“So, Zelda, what do you want to study in college?” he asked, sitting up.</p><p>She watched him suspiciously at the topic change. “I like law, but I’m not sure I want to take all those tests. I was thinking something related to business or like economics. I guess I’ll just end up in a job adjacent to my parents. What about you?”</p><p>He pulled off his sweatshirt and set it in his lap, leaning towards her with a grin. “I’m waiting to hear back about a scholarship to the community college down the road. If I don’t get it, I’m not going.”</p><p>She <em>hated</em> him for wearing a tight tee shirt again, but it seemed to be his style since she’d barely seen him in anything other than that and his uniform. “What would you study though?” she asked, sitting up herself.</p><p>“In a perfect world where I have time and money? I’d dual major in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. In my world? Whatever STEM program they offer, I guess.”</p><p>Zelda had to bite back a wide smile. “I think that’s great, Link. I really hope you get it.”</p><p>“Me too,” he said wistfully.</p><p>He leaned forward and his sleeve moved up. Zelda could see the bottom of his tattoo again, the only part of it she’d ever gotten a glimpse of. <em>If he had his shirt off…</em> her brain said. But she shook that off, opting for a simpler approach.</p><p>“What is it of?” she asked, gesturing to his arm.</p><p>“Are you staring at my muscles, Princess?” he jested, cocking an eyebrow at her.</p><p>“How do you find the time to exercise with all the other things you do?” she said, unable to help herself.</p><p>He just laughed. “I might work in a gym, but I don’t really use it. I run a lot when I get bored. There’s not a lot to do where I live except go out, or shoot hoops at the park. I do crunches for fun,” he joked, wriggling his eyebrows at her.</p><p>She rolled her eyes. “Color me impressed.”</p><p>Smirking, he rolled his sleeve so she could see his tattoo. It was of one of the mythical Goddesses calling for a knight in armor, a fallen sword at his side as he walked into a doorway she was resting on. There were a lot of interlaced linear designs. “It goes a little onto my back. Not much,” he said. “Gabe paid for it just after Mikau died. He’s gotten me all of mine, actually.”</p><p>“All?” she asked, looking him over.</p><p>He turned even redder. “One’s hidden right now. It’s a sword.” he admitted. But he twisted his arm for her, and she could see a Triforce with the piece for the Triforce of Courage noticeably different from the others.</p><p>She gasped, surprised. “How have I never seen that one before?”</p><p>He turned his face away, fighting back a bashful smirk. “I got in trouble when Mrs. Joy first saw it, and I’ve had to cover it up any day I wear short sleeves. My sister taught me how to efficiently use concealer. I can’t afford to piss Mrs. Joy off as often as you do, no matter how much I wish I could.”</p><p>“Wow,” Zelda muttered, looking them over. “They’re so cool. And I love that you’ve been rocking makeup at school.”</p><p>“If I ever get the money, I’d want to finish a whole sleeve. I enjoy being a stereotype, you know: bike, tattoos, a record.”</p><p>“You’re not a stereotype, Link. Sorry to disappoint you.”</p><p>“Neither are you,” he said, almost surprised. “I had you wrong when we first started talking.”</p><p>“And you’re nothing like the rumors make you out to be.”</p><p>His lips pressed into a tight line. “About that… I… don’t want you to think differently of me, but I also want you to feel safe around me… so…  you should probably know why I went to juvie.”</p><p>“You <em>really</em> don’t have to tell me anything,” Zelda said quickly. “And Link, I do feel safe around you, so don’t worry. That’s just so personal; I understand.”</p><p>Link scoffed and ran a hand through his hair. “Like I said before, for some reason, I <em>want</em> to tell you.”</p><p>“Okay,” she said, sitting back on the trampoline. “Stop if you want to though.”</p><p>He nodded and shifted, never managing to find that comfortable spot with her eyes on him, waiting. Waiting to hear what he’d been promising to tell her. But gods, what if this was the beginning of the end of anything between them?</p><p>But he steeled his nerves, ready to tell her about a past that had defined everything about him and had ruined his reputation before people even knew the truth.</p><p>“So I’ll um… start… somewhere. The beginning, I guess.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Link shifted uncomfortably on the trampoline. Zelda’s patient expression almost made him more antsy, if only because he knew she was so willing to let him say nothing. But he wanted her to know who he was. Even if it was in the past. He wanted her to know everything, if only so she might run before they got any closer.</p>
<p> “Before I start, let me clear up one rumor: I’m not a felon, not the way everyone thinks of me. Everything I’ve ever done has been a misdemeanor or lower. So… I didn’t kill anyone, I’m not an arsonist, I don’t sell hard drugs to undercover cops. I just… did a lot of stupid things.”</p>
<p>Zelda smiled at him, encouraging. “Honestly, you’ve just dispelled the majority of the rumors from school.”</p>
<p>“What are some of the craziest ones about me? I don’t usually get to hear my own legacy there.”</p>
<p>She shifted, bouncing them both on the trampoline as she got closer to Link. “Well, word in the halls is that you murdered someone. That’s the dumbest one. You’d obviously still be in jail, which makes you an escapee. If you were a murderer on the run, I’d hope you’d at least go to a bigger school where you could hide better.”</p>
<p>He snorted, relaxing a little. “Thanks for the advice, Princess.”</p>
<p>“My other favorite weird one was that you were a part of that Yiga cult from a few years back! The ones who set all those fires in the woods.”</p>
<p>“What if I told you that was true?” he asked, a serious look on his face.</p>
<p>But Zelda wasn’t fooled and gave him a light push. “You already told me you weren’t an arsonist. Nice try. Keep going. I won’t interrupt.”</p>
<p>Link stretched a bit and then leaned forward, still anxious. “Okay. I, uh, started getting in trouble around 12. Nothing crazy, but I didn’t have much to do at home. Only good influence on me was Mikau. My dad didn’t really care, and my sister is 6 years older than me, so she was getting ready to go to college.</p>
<p>“I ran away. My mom had left us a few years earlier. Just… up and left. But I still wanted to be with her, so I found where she lived and caught a bus, showed up at her door. I thought maybe…” he rolled his eyes and made a face, leaving that one there. “She had started a new family and turned me away before calling the police to pick me up. Fun fact: I have at least one younger half-sister that I don’t know anything about. My dad reamed me out for that trip. He’d known everything, and just kept it from me. I was pissed, and everything went to shit from there.</p>
<p>“I started doing <em>everything</em> wrong after that. I started smoking, I… well I’ll admit I did some drugs whenever the guys I was hanging with offered. I wasn’t with the best people, and they found me in a bad place, mentally. I was willing to do anything for those assholes. And I thought they were doing me a favor… that they were helping me. Helping me forget, helping me get ahead. They were nothing but fucking shit to me in hindsight. I was their bitch. ‘Go into that house and steal the money in the drawer.’ I did. I wanted to impress them, despite being scared shitless the whole time.</p>
<p>“The first time I got really caught, I’d skipped school to go with some guys to pawn off something we took. We weren’t smart, obviously, and got caught. I was their scapegoat. That was my first-time in juvie. I was an incorrigible truant, so that covered running away, skipping school, and smoking, though I wasn’t on drugs when they picked me up, so that wasn’t in there. They were going to release me to my dad with some heafty fines, but he told them I had been stealing from him too, and that I was a lot worse than I actually was. He was drunk. I think he genuinely thought I was stealing from him, but I was actually bringing some money home, illegally, obviously. So I mean, I was guilty of everything but what my dad thought. They sent me to juvie the first time for one month. Wasn’t fun, but I went home and didn’t learn.”</p>
<p>Link paused and glanced at Zelda. “Still want to hang out with me? I’m not done.”</p>
<p>Zelda leaned forward, resting her hand on her chin. “Sounds like you had crappy friends. I know the feeling.”</p>
<p>That got a genuine smile from him. “Your friends just have ego problems. They aren’t actually bad. Revali really needs to take it down a few pegs. My ‘friends’ got me thrown into jail. I think I win that.”</p>
<p>“To me, what Revali did was worse than everything you’ve done so far. You did stupid things as a kid. Revali is not a child. There’s no excuse for what he did to you.”</p>
<p>Link’s hand stretched out and grabbed hers. When he saw that she didn’t flinch away, he let it rest there for a minute. “Everything that happened to me, I did to myself. I was responsible for all of it. I earned my reputation. So I stopped letting it affect me. Revali doesn’t bother me. Don’t let it bother you, especially if you know him as a better guy than that.”</p>
<p>Zelda’s other hand reached around to grab Link’s keeping it against her as he started to pull away. “You always sound like you think you deserve bad things happening to you. You don’t.”</p>
<p>He smirked at her, but it was laced with something decidedly not humorous as he pulled away from her. “You got me off track. So, everything pissed me off: school, the people I was with, my dad, my situation, my life. I skipped counseling, which had actually been helping. I gave up a few of my vices, but it wasn’t enough. My biggest problem was that I started and finished every fight I could find. When I was 14, I got into a bad one, one that really injured both of us. Went to the hospital and left with the police. Five months back in jail. Stepping out of those doors was the best day I’ve ever had in my life. My sister picked me up and just <em>begged</em> me to stop. But I already had no intention of going back there.</p>
<p>“Zel, it’s… it’s not like the movies there. It’s <em>boring</em>. But, like, in a dangerous way. There is literally nothing to do there. It’s so mind-numbing, it’s scary. You’re with people who are there for a reason, and you don’t know if they’ll snap. And after a while… you don’t know if you’ll snap. It’s easy to get pissed off in there and catch another charge for fighting.”</p>
<p>“Gods, Link…”</p>
<p>He gave her a soft, comforting smile. “I got out, obviously. I dropped my old friends, and I started picking up other hobbies. That was probably the most helpful thing. Mikau and his family taught me how to fix and build things, I exercised, I learned to play an old guitar I found. Old habits though… I sometimes shoplifted things we needed. Got caught once, but I just had to pay the owner. He didn’t take it any further. And obviously I still smoke.”</p>
<p>Link ran his hands through his hair several times before looking back at Zelda. “So, that’s me. And I completely understand if you want me to leave, or don’t want to be alone with me.”</p>
<p>“Why would that make me want to kick you out?” Zelda asked quickly.</p>
<p>He looked confused. “Because… I have anger problems and used to beat people up?” His uncertainty cracked his voice.</p>
<p>“I trust you. I saw you with Revali. You have control. Maybe you didn’t back then, but if you didn’t punch him in the face after <em>that</em>, you won’t.” She reached forward and grabbed his hand, half expecting him to pull away. But he didn’t.</p>
<p>Instead, he threaded his fingers through hers.</p>
<p>She leaned on her arm, looking at their hands. “I can’t believe that’s the story about the terrifying Link.”</p>
<p>“I can’t believe you’re not running away from me. People… usually do.”</p>
<p>Zelda shrugged, enjoying the warmth of his hand in hers a little too much, like it was something she could get used to. “Maybe you’ve just told the wrong people.”</p>
<p>Link leaned closer to her and tugged her hand so it was almost right up against him. “Or maybe you’re just exceptional.”</p>
<p>They sat on the trampoline like that for some time before Zelda felt her stomach growl. She pulled her phone from her pocket and scooted beside Link rather than in front of him, begrudgingly letting him go so she could readjust herself. “Okay, where do you want to order from?” She opened a delivery app and handed it to Link.</p>
<p>After a while of scrolling, they ordered from Subrosian Pizza, opting to share a large ordonian goat cheese pizza, and went inside as the sky began to turn orange.</p>
<p>“I just can’t believe you actually live here,” Link said as he was struck again by the return to the grandiose house. “It’s just… massive.”</p>
<p>Zelda shrugged and led Link into the kitchen, pulling open a cabinet to grab paper plates. “I didn’t used to like being in such a big house all alone, and sometimes I still don’t, especially if my parents are gone overnight and don’t come home without telling me. Because then I expect to hear some noise and it’s just so quiet. And, like, if you weren’t here, I probably wouldn’t order this late. I’d just cook something. I always feel a little better when there’s someone else here. A little more confident, you know? But hey, I stopped thinking that the creaky basement was an intruder, so that’s progress. Makeela stays over most often, but she <em>hates </em>the basement. It’s literally just storage.”</p>
<p>“How often are your parents at work? Like, how many times a week?”</p>
<p>She thought for a second and leaned beside him where he’d taken up part of the counter to lean against. “I don’t know. Technically five, but as you can see, they go in on weekends. But multiple times a day sometimes too. They work normal hours, plus extra, like they’re doing now.”</p>
<p>Link nodded, understanding her just a little bit better. He didn’t have much by way of personal possessions, or a lavish home. But he was surrounded by the family he’d found, and it made his days enjoyable, despite the struggle. But there were still days when he’d go to sleep hungry and alone, with Aryll staying with her boyfriend closer to work.</p>
<p>Zelda had never needed to struggle for anything. She never wanted for anything. She’d never known hunger. Sickeningly good to her core, Zelda strove to do things for others over herself. And she was left alone at home with parents who couldn’t step away from their jobs for one night.</p>
<p>Once the food arrived, Zelda led them back upstairs to the tv room and they set up the large footrest as a tray of sorts and put on the rerun of last week’s episode. It was a few minutes in, but it didn’t matter. Zelda tied her hair up and they eagerly dug in.</p>
<p>They joked about the episode as they ate, poking fun at each other at any opportunity, especially regarding their favorite characters. Thanks to it being the episode where Fredrick had died, it wasn’t too focused on Castor or Amalia, but they still managed a few jabs. And by the time they’d finished eating, the old episode was halfway through, and they opted to skip some of it to make popcorn, returning later with a large bowl, comfortably watching, and anticipating the next episode.</p>
<p>Zelda was distinctly aware of Link’s arm around the back of the couch. Though it wasn’t around her, she could still feel it, like the assumed presence of a ghost. She was leaning into the back cushion, close but far enough away from Link that he felt the same phantom sensation.</p>
<p>That is, until Zelda <em>felt</em> Link’s finger against the loose hair on her neck. She jerked away, unsure what it was at first, but when she saw Link’s innocent expression, she chuckled and settled back in her place.</p>
<p>But after a few minutes, he did it again.</p>
<p>“Link…” she said, turning accusingly to him, grinning as she did.</p>
<p>“What?” he asked, maintaining his innocence, though his smirk betrayed any sense of genuineness he may have had.</p>
<p>She playfully glared at him before deciding to be brave. She leaned into him, her head against his chest so he no longer could reach the back of her neck. “I think I win,” she said, though she couldn’t muster vibrato through her nerves from being so close to Link. Gods, she was rising and falling with his rapid breaths.</p>
<p>His hand hovered awkwardly above her, unsure what to do with it as he stuttered. “Y-yep, you definitely won.”</p>
<p>“Is this okay?” she asked, feeling how tense he was.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He swallowed hard and adjusted his leg so Zelda could more comfortably move against him. But he couldn’t relax his arm.</p>
<p>“Just put your hand down, Link,” she chuckled, turning to see it hovering just over her hip.</p>
<p>He shakily managed to, though his touch was feather-light with childish awkwardness. They stayed that way, unmoving, for most of the episode, managing to remain reactionless through a spicy scene, and through most of Fredrick’s fight that they’d already seen last week. Both were too nervous to move a muscle.</p>
<p>As time passed though, his arm relaxed until they were both genuinely comfortable. He only noticed the fire where they touched, not the awkwardness that had accompanied it. The credits for the old episode ran, and the recap played just before the intro, and they’d finally found enough courage to move again.</p>
<p>Once the new episode began, however, Link found that watching television with Zelda might be one of his new favorite activities.</p>
<p>Within a few minutes, she’d sprung off of him and was perched on her knees, her knuckles nervously in her mouth as she chanted to herself, things like ‘no, no, no’ and ‘oh gods’ just over and over.</p>
<p>She’d tried to relax, but when Castor learned about his dead brother, Zelda felt the tears, and she felt Link’s laughter shake the couch. She swatted his arm, called him heartless, and slid off the couch onto the floor, resting against Link’s leg without realizing it, thanks to her level of immersion. Link noticed though. He noticed everything she did. And he was absolutely going to have to rewatch this episode with Pipit.</p>
<p>She didn’t stay there long, grabbing the forgotten bowl of popcorn and curling back into Link’s side, offering him some like it was the most casual thing she’d ever done.  </p>
<p>When Castor met back up with his love interest Amalia and his shirt was enthusiastically discarded, Link felt her hit his arm several times, turning to give her a bland look, which she couldn’t help but laugh at. So when Amalia’s joined his, Link shook Zelda’s arm playfully, and she snorted before daring a glance at Link.</p>
<p>He had a light smile on his face, his attention fully on Zelda as she adjusted herself against him. His hand brushed some of her stuck hair away from where it had been pinned against him, and she felt herself shudder as his fingers brushed her jaw and neck. They stayed comfortably like that for a while, but Zelda’s inability to remain calm during the show had her back on her knees as two werewolves chased each other through the woods, though this time, Zelda’s hand clutched Link’s arm, her eyes wide and darting all across the screen, like she were trying to keep up with a drag race.</p>
<p>And when the episode ended with Castor in his human form surrounded by bodies he’d murdered in his rage over the loss of his brother, Link finally turned fully to Zelda.</p>
<p>“Gods, you are something.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“What do you mean ‘what’? You were all over the place!” He was laughing, and she quickly joined in.</p>
<p>“I <em>love</em> this show, Link. I feel like these are my precious babies that I don’t want anything to happen to. I get nervous. And you! You’re a lot quieter than I thought!”</p>
<p>“I never texted you during an episode, so I don’t know what gave you the impression I wouldn’t be.”</p>
<p>She scoffed and grabbed her phone, leaning against Link again as she pulled up a feed of people’s reactions, holding it out just enough that they could both see.</p>
<p>He wrapped an arm around her. It felt oddly natural.</p>
<p>Link poked her screen, and Zelda giggled. He’d voted in a poll for the Castalia ship, or the Fredlace ship. He’d voted Castalia. She held the phone while he scrolled, too amused to just hand it to him. He voted in a prediction poll too. Zelda refreshed the page and voted against him with a smirk.</p>
<p>“You know,” he said, letting her take control of the phone back. “I haven’t watched a show without captions in forever.”</p>
<p>“Oh, right! Because of Pipit?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. It was different at first, like I’d forgotten.”</p>
<p>Zelda felt her phone vibrate. Ruto.</p>
<p>Link saw the name across the top, and almost instinctively unwrapped his arm from Zelda, leaving her feeling an unexpected coldness. “It’s getting late,” he muttered.</p>
<p>It was 10:04pm. Zelda wasn’t sure how good his bike actually was at night, but as a school night, she knew she needed to sleep too.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Maybe we can do this again?” she said, feeling remarkably confident.</p>
<p>Link had to contain a smile. “I can’t bail on Pip <em>every</em> week, but I’d like that.”</p>
<p>“Okay. Good,” Zelda said, taking in a deep breath.</p>
<p>And it wasn’t until he was driving away into the dark that she finally managed to let it out again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda spun her pencil around on her desk, feeling lightheaded and nauseous, wishing she was home and didn’t have rehearsal later. It was one of those days, and she knew it. She wanted nothing more than to be home. But alas, she was here listening to the loud, daily screech of feedback through the intercom.</p><p>“You should fix that,” she muttered to Link in the row beside her.</p><p>He chuckled. “Break into the office with me?”</p><p>She smirked and returned her attention to her pencil as Mrs. Joy’s voice boomed through the speakers. “Good morning everyone. Happy Monday. I hope you all had a great weekend. Now, please rise for the Hylian Pledge.”</p><p>Everyone did, methodic and ingenuine as any daily routine.</p><p>“I solemnly swear in the name of the Goddess to uphold the values and laws of Hyrule and to our nation, be true.”</p><p>She sat back down, but her arm shook as she leaned on her desk. <em>Just breathe and it’ll pass</em>, she thought to herself, trying to mentally will herself back to normal.</p><p>“You okay?” Link whispered, noticing her unusual behavior.</p><p>Zelda was sweating and undid one button on her shirt, knowing exactly what was happening to her, but she hoped announcements would end soon so she could get to her locker where she’d stupidly left everything she was supposed to have with her.</p><p>She could just tell Link. She <em>should</em>. But she didn’t want to become that weird girl in his mind.</p><p>“Yeah, just feeling a little sick today.”</p><p>Zelda returned to spinning her pencil, though it flew off her desk. She heard Link laugh, and her half-hearted amusement followed his, but the pencil had flung far from both their reach. Another student grabbed it and tossed it in her direction, and she was thankful that she was able to catch it and not look even more stupid than she already felt. She whispered a thanks, glad that the distraction had drowned out <em>some </em>of Mrs. Joy’s morning announcements.</p><p>If she’d at <em>least</em> had her water with her… maybe she’d feel better.</p><p>“…and they will be playing at home this Wednesday. A very happy birthday to Cremia Lon. And over the weekend, it was Ralis King’s birthday. Congratulations both of you. Come to the office for your birthday lollipops. Also, would Zelda Harkinian and Medli Valoo please come to my office…”</p><p>Zelda cupped her head in her hands, absolute dread overtaking her and sighed before looking down at herself. Was she breaking the dress code again? She didn’t think so.</p><p>“Zelda?” her teacher said. “You can go ahead.”</p><p>She nodded and grabbed her backpack, casting a quick glance at Link as she did. He was offering her a sympathetic expression as he packed up his own books, with homeroom nearly over anyway.</p><p>Zelda made it into the hallway and waved at Medli. She was going to make a pit-stop at her locker, but the clanking of  heels announced Mrs. Joy’s return from the office. “Ms. Harkinian? Let’s go,” she muttered, forcing Zelda to ignore her locker again, lest she get a detention or some uncalled-for punishment.  </p><p>“Good, you’re both here today. Sit.”</p><p>She pushed open her office door and gestured to the chairs as she reached under her desk for something. Sliding two folders over, both Medli and Zelda took the ones with their names on them. It was their high school yearbook photos they’d taken at the end of the summer.</p><p>“Thank you?” Medli said, unsure what was happening.</p><p>“You don’t see anything wrong?” Mrs. Joy asked, looking between the two girls.</p><p>“No,” Zelda muttered, even looking over Medli’s shoulder at her pictures. They looked great, if she was being honest. Medli looked genuinely happy in them, not even like the forced smile that happens after too long in the studio.</p><p>“Ms. Harknian… your shoulders. And Ms. Valoo, your shirt is too low.”</p><p>Zelda’s eyes snapped up. “My shoulders?” She’d worn an off-the-shoulder shirt for the picture, but it was perfectly modest. And Medli’s looked just as harmless. “What’s wrong with my shoulders?”</p><p>“The same thing as your shirt today,” Mrs. Joy said, pointing at Zelda’s partially opened blouse. “You’re showing too much skin. Button that higher. It’s highly inappropriate.”</p><p>Zelda let her fingers brush her clammy skin. She had a tank top on, and really <em>really</em> needed to feel the air on her right now, at least until she could grab her water and press her head against the cool metal of her locker. Of all days to be stupid and forget her things inside…  </p><p>“Both you need to retake your yearbook photos in new outfits, or you won’t be receiving a photo in the yearbook at all.”</p><p>Zelda’s fingers stilled on her button, already nearing her throat. “Retake it?”</p><p>“You seem to be struggling to hear today, Ms. Harkinian. Yes, retake the photo. And do up that button. While you’re here, I noticed your hem. It’s disgusting. Clean up those loose threads. You don’t look like a respectable young woman.”</p><p>Medli’s eyes darted between the two of them.</p><p>The room was starting to spin, and Zelda needed to blink just to keep her focus on Mrs. Joy. “I did everything you asked. I figured out how to take the hems down. I’ve worn tank tops under every shirt, I’ve been sure to have just the right shade of a skirt. There’s almost nothing else I can do!”</p><p>Mrs. Joy’s hands slammed down on her desk at the challenge. “I know about your little petition, Ms. Harkinian, and it won’t get past me. Uniforms are, in part, meant to teach you how to dress professionally when you enter the workforce. No one will take you seriously as you are.”</p><p>“Because I wore the wrong polo one day? Or because my shoulders are showing?”</p><p>But Mrs. Joy’s eyes just narrowed. “Retake the photo in something appropriate. Perhaps all the warnings we give you will help you smarten up.”</p><p>The bell to end homeroom rang, and they could hear everyone mulling in the hall.</p><p>Zelda’s head spun, and she had to blink several times to keep her vision from getting much blurrier, her hand still on the button, but unable to fasten it, feeling clammy and unable to fight in any arguments. “Okay. Can I go?”</p><p>“Physically you can,” Mrs. Joy scoffed, choosing <em>now</em> to correct grammar.  </p><p>If she’d been feeling better, Zelda would have offered at least some fight. But she wasn’t sure how much longer she could make it without getting to her locker, grabbing her things, and finding a different chair to sit in. “May I go?” she choked out hoarsely, nauseous waves starting to hit her.</p><p>She <em>needed</em> her pills.</p><p>“Yes. Have those reshots done a week from today.”</p><p>Zelda nodded, noticing Medli’s confused stare as she stumbled out of her seat and into the hallway.</p><p>Nope. She’d waited too long.</p><p>Her legs were turning to nothing beneath her, and it was a mental effort to put one in front of the other. She looked around frantically as her eyes began to blur even more. The closest person she could see that she trusted was Link, with Ilia beside him. There was no way she was going to get to her locker and get the code in now.</p><p>She stumbled into them, grabbing Link tightly. He pulled her against him instinctively when he felt that something was wrong, half her body weight desperately pushing against him.  </p><p>“Link,” she practically whispered, somehow managing to drag him with her around a corner to a private area where no other students were roaming. Ilia was on their heels. Zelda could feel her grip on him slackening. “I need you to get Makeela or Revali. I have low… and I’m going to…” Her eyes rolled back and she went limp.</p><p>“Shit!” Link hissed, catching her as she completely went down, his heart racing. He turned to Ilia, horrified.</p><p>“I’ll get them,” she whispered, taking off down the hall.</p><p>“Zelda?” Link asked, lowering them both to the ground. But she didn’t respond. She was breathing, so that calmed him… slightly.</p><p>His first instinct was just to check her pulse to see if it was still going. It was. He didn’t have time to do any more than that though. It had to be two seconds until Ilia came back with both Makeela and Revali, but it felt like a span of time that stretched on forever.</p><p>Utterly panicked and confused, Link had never been more grateful when Makeela knelt beside them, looking suspiciously calm and in control, like this wasn’t the most nerve-wracking thing she’d ever seen. “Ilia, can you get the nurse? Tell her Zelda passed out again.”</p><p>But it was Revali who spoke to him, no malice or animosity in his tone as he looked at Zelda, more concerned for <em>her</em> than hateful towards Link. “Did she <em>just</em> pass out, or has it been long?”</p><p>“Just now,” Link choked out. Revali nodded and went to her locker.</p><p>“You don’t look good yourself, Link,” Makeela said, taking Zelda’s hand.</p><p>“What the <em>fuck </em>is happening?” he managed, completely in shock.</p><p>“Oh, she didn’t tell you yet?” Makeela said, feeling Zelda’s hand twitch in hers, already waking up. “She has low blood pressure. Sometimes she passes out if it gets too low. This is normal for her, don’t worry. She didn’t hit her head, right? Looks like you got her?”</p><p>“Yeah,” he managed again.</p><p>Revali sat cross-legged on the floor, and for Zelda’s sake, he was glad she’d ducked out of the crowded hallway. He held her water bottle, a bag of salted pretzels, and two pills in his hand.</p><p>When Zelda’s eyes opened again, they were groggy. Revali helped tilt her head slightly. “Pills and water,” he muttered, popping them into her mouth and helping her sip the drink.</p><p>The nurse, Ms. Impa, followed Ilia over to them. She grinned as she knelt over Zelda. “Long time, no see. You missed coming to my office, huh?”</p><p>Zelda smiled a bit and nodded as she swallowed everything down.</p><p>“Did you hit your head when you fell?”</p><p>Zelda glanced at Link, like she wasn’t sure of the answer.</p><p>“No, she didn’t,” he said, only slightly more confident.</p><p>“Okay, let’s get you to my office. All of you come with me; I’ll write you a late note.”</p><hr/><p>Link stared blindly at the words in his textbook. They were reading… something. Some story. He wasn’t even sure he was on the right page. All he could think about was Zelda.</p><p>“So, did you actually do the homework?” Makeela asked him, sitting in the seat beside him.</p><p>He looked around, half of a heart attack, and half concerned for her sake. “What?”</p><p>But Makeela seemed to notice that he wasn’t quite focused. “We’re in a group to talk about question three.” She eyed his book and flipped about four pages ahead and pointed to a set of questions. “We’re over here.”</p><p>“Sorry. Thanks,” he muttered, quickly reading the question. “Yeah, I did the homework. Hang on.”</p><p>As Link dug through his bag, Makeela leaned back, angling herself away from Revali and Ruto in the other corner of the room. She hadn’t picked Link as her partner, but she was very glad for the perfect opportunity.</p><p>“Are you worried about Zelda?” she asked, keeping her voice soft so no one would hear, especially not the wandering ears of their teacher, Mr. Mido, as he paced the room. “Don’t be. She’s had this for years. Get a little salt in her and she’s fine after a while.”</p><p>“It’s nothing… serious?”</p><p>“Not that she’s said. She told me the doctors said she’s just wired a little differently. I mean, it’s serious if she passes out down a flight of stairs or something. She used to be at doctor’s all the time though when they were trying to figure it out. I don’t want to tell you much more though. It’s her business, not mine.”</p><p>They were silent for a few minutes, vaguely jotting notes down about the classwork.</p><p>“So, you have been hanging out with her, I noticed. I think it’s nice. You should come eat lunch with us sometime.”</p><p>Link froze. Of course Zelda would tell her best friend they’d been hanging out. He’d known she’d figured it out, but apparently, it was a <em>topic.</em> His eyes darted to Revali.</p><p>“Oh, right,” she said, understanding immediately. “Well, on A days, it’s just Zelda and I at first lunch. What lunch do you have on A days?”</p><p>“First,” he said without needing to think. He knew already because last week, he’d been sitting across from Zelda, a cafeteria away. Ilia had been in front of his face, so he’d scooted over when he noticed Zelda signing something at him and he’d had a silent conversation with her from across the room. He’d noticed her sparce table. But he wasn’t going to admit all that to Makeela.</p><p>“Cool,” Makeela muttered, not really sure how to keep the conversation with him going. This was all for Zelda. She could see Link’s physical appeal for sure, but she couldn’t, for the life of her, figure out how Zelda found anything to talk to Link about, especially if his conversation now was any indication.</p><p>Link slid his paper over to her. “I’m going to just run to the bathroom. Take my notes if you need them.”</p><p>He needed to <em>breathe</em>. When he’d come to school today, he had braced himself for overwhelming thoughts of the girl who’d literally been lying on him watching tv just the night before, but this wasn’t <em>exactly</em> what he’d expected.</p><p>So he didn’t really surprise himself when his legs had carried him to the nurse’s office.</p><p>He ducked his head inside and saw Zelda laying on a cot in the corner. She was awake, staring at the ceiling.</p><p><em>“Pssst” </em>he hissed to get her attention.</p><p>Her head snapped to him and she smiled. But she held her finger to her mouth and pointed at a door before switching to signing. <em>“Don’t talk. She’ll come in here and kick you out.”</em></p><p>Link nodded in understanding. <em>“I’m in English class. I just wanted to see if you were doing better.”</em></p><p>Zelda looked at the door again. <em>“Much. I assume someone told you what happened?”</em></p><p><em>“Makeela.”</em> He glanced over his shoulder and into the hall, taking a quick step inside the nurse’s room to avoid being seen by someone in the hallway.</p><p><em>“I should have known,” </em>she said with a laugh once Link was looking at her again. She was sitting up, cross-legged with a blanket pulled up over her lap. <em>“I’m really sorry for randomly falling into you.”</em></p><p><em>“Don’t be. You had me scared though. Are you sick?”</em> He checked the hall again and made his way over to Zelda’s cot, opting to just sit down beside her when he definitely was not allowed to be in the nurses’ office.</p><p>Zelda shook her head at his brazenness and switched to a whisper. “I wasn’t feeling great this morning but I thought it would pass. And I forgot all my stuff in my locker today. But Mrs. Joy was yelling at me, and I was just getting stressed out and warm, which made her more upset because I wouldn’t button my blouse even though I was sweating, and then I realized I wasn’t going to make it to my locker with the combo. You were the first person I saw who I trusted wasn’t going to let me hit the floor. Which you didn’t, so thank you.”</p><p>He grabbed her hand slid his palm against hers. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”</p><p>“Salt, water, a little rest. I’ll be back in time for chem.”</p><p>“Hey!” Ms. Impa said, hurrying back into the room. “Shouldn’t you be in class?”</p><p>Link nodded, standing up. “I just wanted to check on her. Sorry.”</p><p>“No, it’s okay,” Ms. Impa said, returning to her desk. “Just get back to class though.”</p><p>Turning back to Zelda, Link let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. And he didn’t notice his hand had moved easily to rest on her leg, like it was just natural.</p><p>“I’ll see you later, Zel.”</p><p>She felt her cheeks turn red at the name he’d begun calling her.</p><p>“See you later, Link.”</p><p>Zelda watched him go and pulled the blanket up to her chin.</p><p>Ms. Impa chuckled. “Is that your boyfriend?”</p><p>“No!” Zelda balked, grabbing her water to take another long gulp.</p><p>“Hrmm,” Ms. Impa said, looking at the doorway with a shrug. “Could have fooled me.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda had been relieved that no one mentioned her fainting at school the rest of the day, or the next. She figured she’d ducked out of sight just in time to avoid any gossip or rumors. It had become a skill of hers, to avoid being seen when she needed to get away. The last time she’d passed out at school, she’d made it into the bathroom just in time. But that hadn’t been since last year. And over the summer, she’d only passed out twice.</p>
<p>She’d explained all of that to Link when they’d partnered up in chemistry class, much to the obvious annoyance—disgust… hatred?... she couldn’t figure out which emotion—of Ruto, Darunia, and Revali in the corner. She normally would have chosen to partner with Revali and to sit across from Darunia and Ruto. But despite his kindness when she’d passed out, Zelda still felt a nagging voice in her that kept showing her mental images of Revali in his costume. With his nametag.</p>
<p>No, she would do what she <em>wanted. </em>She’d partnered with Link, much to his surprise.</p>
<p>They split the work. Though they mixed the chemicals together, she made all the observations and called out numbers, while Link jotted them down and did math faster than she could even imagine. He certainly didn’t need his phone for it like she did.  </p>
<p>She chastised herself as she finished her part for now and paused to just watch him write out equations and solve them, captivated by just how fast his brain was working. He <em>needed </em>to be in that engineering program.</p>
<p>She didn’t care how many eyes were on her from the table behind as she rested her chin in her hand and leaned closer, her eyes on the paper as he whipped out calculations. And damn, was she glad she was allowed to have a calculator for the future quiz because she could barely say the word stoichiometry, let alone do it in her head.</p>
<p>And admittedly, she found it just as attractive as everything else about him.</p>
<p>“Are you a supercomputer?” she asked after he’d finished one problem particularly fast.</p>
<p>“Just a humble android,” he muttered, finishing writing down an answer before turning to her. “Next question.”</p>
<p>“I don’t have any questions.”</p>
<p>He grinned and, gods, she melted. “I meant in the lab book.”</p>
<p>She made a soft noise and pulled the book in front of her. “Yep, I’m going to be quiet now.”</p>
<p>The only other person who mentioned anything to her about her incident the day before had been Revali when they went to rehearsal.</p>
<p>“You looked much better today than yesterday. Doing alright?”</p>
<p>“I am, yeah. Thanks,” she said, closing her car door. They were both early. As usual.</p>
<p>She could see Link sitting on the wide stone railing outside the school, his face lit up by his phone. Casting a nervous look at Revali, they headed toward the door, and she was sure to move to Revali’s other side, keeping herself between the two, just in case Revali snapped again.</p>
<p>Revali noticed her change and gave her a dirty look. “Why do you keep defending <em>him</em>?”</p>
<p>“He doesn’t deserve your random attitude, for one,” she muttered.</p>
<p>“A criminal deserves what he gets.”</p>
<p>“Don’t even start,” she warned him. “You just came back from a suspension. And… you can go ahead inside. I’ll meet you.”</p>
<p>“Zelda… you’re not going to talk to him, are you?”</p>
<p>“So, what if I am? Why does it bother you?”</p>
<p>Their walk wasn’t that far, but they’d slowed to an absolute crawl. “Your safety concerns me. He didn’t even react well when you passed out.”</p>
<p>Zelda snorted. “If I recall, the first time I passed out around you, you thought I was pretending because we were rehearsing and you let me hit the ground and then left me there until you realized it wasn’t fake. And Makeela screamed bloody murder the first time. So don’t judge. He had no idea.”</p>
<p>“Fine, Zelda.” Revali just shook his head and hurried the rest of the way inside, leaving Zelda with Link.</p>
<p>Link reached into his pocket and then pulled one of his headphones from his ear. “Hey.”</p>
<p>“What are you doing out here?” she asked, leaning casually on the rail.</p>
<p>“Waiting for Ilia. I’m not going in there by myself. I’ll get bored before I even start.”</p>
<p>“What are you doing today? Do you know?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m on the team building the stairs because, stupid me, I mentioned I actually know how to put things together without them collapsing. So if any of the stairs break, it’s now my fault.”</p>
<p>“Lucky you. That’s not nerve-wracking at all.”</p>
<p>He grinned at her but shook his head. “Revali is watching us from the doorway. You should go.”</p>
<p>Zelda felt a surge of bravery, something she’d been feeling a lot around Link lately: she sat beside him, much to his surprise. Their arms were flush against each other, and her expression was determined. She didn’t care that Revali was watching.</p>
<p>But for her sake, Link still did. It was one thing to be the brunt of jokes and rumors, but it was another to let Zelda bear that same humiliation.</p>
<p>And, as if it were a test of how much she’d been paying attention to the different ways Link reacted, her hand was holding his arm down just seconds before he was about to pull away. “Don’t, Link.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” he muttered, letting himself relax back in place beside her.</p>
<p>It was a while before either could muster up the courage to do anything more, but finally Link let out a <em>deep </em>breath.</p>
<p>“Doing anything exciting this weekend?”</p>
<p>Zelda shook her head, thinking. “Nope. No parents again Saturday this time. They’ll be home Sunday afternoon, which will be nice.”</p>
<p>Zelda could see Link working up the courage for something, like his internal self was waging an invisible war. “Do you… do you want to do something? With me? On Saturday? I have it off, so…”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” she said, cutting him off in her enthusiasm. “Yeah that would be fun.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” he breathed out, trying <em>very </em>hard to remain cool and not grin like a creepy meme of a smiling dog. “Any suggestions?”</p>
<p>“None from you?” Zelda’s lips tipped up as she turned to him, leaning her head down on her knee. <em>Gods</em>, he thought as he stared at her, curled up and smiling at <em>him</em>. Like he’d done something to deserve being looked at the way she looked at him.</p>
<p>He swallowed hard. “It doesn’t have to be anything crazy. We can just… hang out again. I don’t know.” <em>Fuck.</em></p>
<p>“Do you want to grab a coffee at Hyrule Energized and actually sit inside to drink it? We can brainstorm what to do after.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. That sounds great. Do you want me to… want me to pick you up? Or you…” He made a face and just let the words die because he was struggling to get them out.</p>
<p>But Zelda thought it was cute. <em>He </em>was cute. “I’d get to ride the motorcycle?”</p>
<p>Half a smirk overtook his lips, more confident. “Yes. Or I could borrow my sister’s car if you’d feel safer off a bike.”</p>
<p>Leaning closer to him to the point where neither could breathe without taking in an overwhelming whiff of the other, Zelda pursed her lips, thinking. “I’m not going to lie, I’m interested to see what you look like driving a car. But I’ll definitely go with the motorcycle.” She paused for a moment before scooting even closer, their legs brushing. Link stiffened as his eyes darted to where they touched before looking back up at her. And she really was feeling bold around him. “So,” she asked, “is it just a movie thing, or do I actually hold on to you?”</p>
<p>Link lost every sense of cool he’d managed to cling to, and he had to cover his mouth with his hand to hide his smile, though his glinting eyes harshly betrayed him. “No, you can hold the sides or… you can hold on to me.” Just the <em>thought</em> of her holding on to him, let alone that it was going to happen, had him absolutely dying inside in the best possible way.</p>
<p>Zelda made a satisfied noise.</p>
<p>Link cleared his throat and kept his hand over his mouth. “You know we’re being watched from every direction? Ilia’s in her car, and Revali is still at the door.”</p>
<p>“Voyeurs,” she muttered with a laugh. But she glanced at her phone. “I do have to get inside for rehearsal. And you have a set to build!”</p>
<p>“Wait, wait!” he said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back towards him. Her eyes were wide. “You have a huge feather in your hair.”</p>
<p>Zelda made a face. “A feather? Is this some ploy? Trying to touch my hair? Are you flirting with me, Link?”</p>
<p>Heartily laughing, Link sat up. “Not this time, Princess. You <em>actually</em> have a feather. Come here.”</p>
<p>If neither of them had spontaneously combusted into a thousand fiery pieces of mush by this point, they figured they’d forever be safe. Zelda could feel every part of her burning, and her brain absolutely shut down when she felt Link’s fingers in her hair, a little more contact than was needed to grab a loose feather. He pulled back and held up a small, white, fuzz-sized piece of fluff.</p>
<p>He let it go and it blew away in the breeze. “I’ll see you inside, Zel.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Zelda had been on stage many times. Sometimes, it had been in class with a group of peers watching her. Other times, it was the school show with a large audience. And usually, it was with Revali.</p>
<p>So why did everything feel so different?</p>
<p>She and Revali, scene partners for years, kissed in multiple shows and scenes, and friends, were rehearsing a song where they shared a kiss at the end. Typical. Easy. Nothing to get worried over.</p>
<p>Except that she could feel Link watching her as he sat on the stage with a drill in his hand, using it as sparingly as possible. Ilia was in front of him, so she couldn’t see Zelda, but Link had an unobstructed view.</p>
<p>Of her upcoming passionate kiss.</p>
<p>With Revali.</p>
<p>And gods, she was willing to admit that she wished it were Link.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Mr. Ezlo said as he paced around the stage. They’d just finished a run-through of everything they’d learned for that song so far, except for the kiss. The song was dangerously seductive, and as usual, she barely reacted to Revali’s touch. It was a friend’s.</p>
<p>To her.</p>
<p>But what if Link had been right? What if Revali’s rage toward Link stemmed from jealousy? But gods, did they have to do a seductive scene <em>tonight</em>, when all Zelda could think about was Link’s smile and <em>his </em>hands, rather than the character Revali was playing, which was meant to evoke a slightly more unsettling lust than the one Zelda had learned to live with.</p>
<p>“Okay, okay…” Mr. Ezlo said again. “I want you to wrap your arms around Zelda’s waist and as you’re seducing her, just… kiss her neck. Essentially, do what you two did in that scene for last year’s final.”</p>
<p>“Want me to follow the lyrics?” Revali asked, watching as Mr. Ezlo struggled to function with the set construction going on.</p>
<p>“Yes, yes, follow the lyrics too.”</p>
<p>Link cringed when he saw Revali bring his lips down to Zelda’s neck as he stood behind her. To her credit, she didn’t react. He’d noticed she’d usually add her facial expressions after learning the basic choreography of the songs.</p>
<p>Ilia turned around to watch for a moment and immediately spun back to her work. “I’m so glad I don’t do theater.”</p>
<p>But Link watched on for a while, wishing he could take Revali’s place, watching the easy ways that they held each other as they moved across the stage, pretending they were on the stairs he was working on. They reached the center again, and for the first time, Zelda’s eyes flickered up to Link’s. She couldn’t hold his gaze—which was unusual for her—and she looked uncomfortable as Revali’s lips met hers.</p>
<p>And a new level of jealousy burned inside him.</p>
<p>Zelda, ever the professional, reacted in kind to the stage kiss. Link knew how she felt about Revali: they were just friends. But heavens forbid his rational brain wanted to remember that as he had to tear his eyes away from the painful sight.</p>
<p>“Link…” Ilia tried. “Kiss her after rehearsal or something. If I’ve been paying attention, and I have, she’ll be very okay with it.”</p>
<p>He shot her a band look that effectively ended the conversation.</p>
<p>Because gods… he wanted to.</p>
<p>But gods, she deserved so much better.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hi welcome to Hyrule Energized, would you like to try our Goron Donuts?”</p><p>“No thank you,” Zelda said quickly, but she felt Makeela’s sharp elbow against her side. “Actually, yes. I’ll take one.”</p><p>“Sure thing. Anything else?”</p><p>“Yep, I’ll have a medium iced coffee with soymilk and two sugars, please. And a medium Noble Pursuit with an extra shot of voltfruit juice.”</p><p>“That’ll be $7.42. You can pull up.”</p><p>Zelda let the car roll a bit, not really paying much attention. Makeela had her music on the radio, which was nowhere near as interesting to Zelda as bands like the Indigo-Go’s, but she could tolerate it.</p><p>“I can’t believe Mrs. Joy is making you do this,” Makeela said as Zelda handed her the drink and donut before taking off down to the photographer’s studio for her reshots.</p><p>“Mhmm,” Zelda hummed in disgust. She was grateful Makeela had offered to go as her mental support, because as it was, Zelda would have been more than happy to just scream into the air. She was in her comfortable leggings, since they wouldn’t be in the shot, and had a very appropriate, very boring, very <em>safe</em> long sleeve shirt on. Just something that covered every one of her bases so she could appease Mrs. Joy. There were no logos. Her collarbones were covered. She wore a nice necklace to look mildly classy. Her hair was down to doubly cover her shoulders, despite the cut of the shirt doing it for her. It was everything she could possibly do.</p><p>Despite the weather finally breaking and beginning its transition to fall, Zelda kind of enjoyed the long sleeves. She didn’t hate the idea that people weren’t going to look at her and think that she was some wannabe prostitute, like Mrs. Joy had suggested. But… it was just her shoulders. And she’d felt pretty before. So why did feeling pretty also make her feel so disgusting?</p><p>After a few minutes of driving, Zelda stopped at a red light and tapped Makeela on the arm. “Look left. That’s where Link works.”</p><p>Makeela half threw herself over Zelda so she could get a better look out the window. “Oh, you’ve got to drive by it on the way back so I can creep on him. I can’t see that far!”</p><p>Zelda didn’t want to feel like a stalker, but honestly, this was the fastest road home anyway, so what the hell? The light was still red, and she could see someone outside the shop. It looked an awful lot like Link. Like he might be outside smoking. “I think that’s Link outside.”</p><p>“Green light, Zelda,” Makeela muttered.</p><p>“Right, sorry,” Zelda said, shaking her head. Gods, crushes were distracting.</p><p>And apparently, not just to her.</p><p>Makeela grabbed Zelda’s vibrating phone a few minutes later. “It’s Link. Can I read it?”</p><p>Zelda made a face. She didn’t <em>think </em>he was going to say anything private that she wouldn’t want Makeela to read. Probably nothing about Saturday. “Sure. What’s it say?”</p><p>But Makeela snickered humorously. “Oh gods, you both have it so bad. He wants to know if that was you holding up traffic. Guess that was him.”</p><p>“Okay… how should I respond for you? ‘My ungodly beautiful bestie and I are going to get my senior pics done.’ Does that sound accurate?”</p><p>Zelda scoffed.</p><p>“Fine,” Makeela said, “’Hey hottie, whatchu doing tonight?’”</p><p>Zelda held out her hand. “You’re absolutely banned. Give me the phone.”</p><p>“Girl, you have enough eye sex with him. Just jump him already.”</p><p>Zelda snorted. It was such a Makeela thing to say that she wasn’t entirely surprised. “Why did I bring you with me again?”</p><p>“Because you <em>love</em> me.”</p><p>Another red light. “Tell me when it changes,” Zelda said, pulling her phone away from Makeela. <em>“Yessss that was me! I have Makeela distracting me while I go get my stupid reshots done.”</em></p><p>She set it down and watched the red light, bored. Half her driving life had to be spent staring at red lights. And as soon as she set the phone down, she turned to Makeela. “I have a confession to make.”</p><p>“Please spill,” she said, eager.</p><p>Zelda nervously ran her tongue along her back molars. “I’m seeing Link Saturday. I don’t know if it’s a date. We both said hang out, but I was definitely flirting and he… yeah he was too. And I don’t know if it’s a date but I’m seeing him on Saturday.”</p><p>“What? <em>Why</em> didn’t you tell me this time? What are you two doing?” Makeela’s face betrayed genuine annoyance at being kept in the dark.</p><p>Now, Zelda was flustered. “I don’t know! Because I’m a mess and I don’t know what’s happening and it’s freaking me out and we’ve been with Ruto and Revali this week and I’m not going to say anything around them and I was getting stressed out so I just didn’t know what to say and I’m saying it now and he might text me something about it so you should know.” She gasped for breath.</p><p>Makeela whacked Zelda’s arm. “If you ever keep something like that from me again, I <em>will not speak to you! </em>What else have you kept from me? Have you two banged?”</p><p>“No!”</p><p>“Have you two kissed? Is there anything else I’m missing?”</p><p>“No, Makeela, nothing!”</p><p>Makeela adjusted herself in her seat. “I don’t know anything about him except that he’s admittedly an attractive guy, so I don’t know what you see in him, but I have <em>never </em>been anything but supportive about you liking him. I even made an effort in class the other day. I care about <em>you</em>, not <em>him</em>. You could date the Grim Reaper if it makes you happy. Don’t you dare keep anything else from me.”</p><p> “I know,” Zelda muttered. She had been keeping a lot from Makeela and the others. It was understandable before anyone knew anything, but her crush on Link was <em>not </em>a secret anymore. Of that, she was pretty positive.</p><p>“Okay,” Makeela said, feeling her point had hit home. “Now, what are you two doing on Saturday?”</p><p>“Getting a coffee and then going from there. We don’t know what else we’re going to do yet. He’s never seen <em>Twilight Throne </em>though, and yesterday I suggested maybe we watch that at my house.”</p><p>“Are you always just going to watch tv with him? That’s… a little boring.”</p><p>“Did I mention I’m a mess?” Zelda said blandly. “I don’t know what to do.”</p><p>“What do you <em>want </em>to do?”</p><p>And without hesitation, Zelda started laughing. “Jump him, honestly!”</p><p>Makeela joined in, both cackling as they pulled into the parking lot. Zelda fixed her hair in the mirror and both girls stepped out of the car and into a large, empty photo studio that they’d both already been to over the summer.</p><p>“Hi,” Zelda said, stepping over to the desk. “Zelda Harkinian. I have an appointment.”</p><p>The woman scrolled down the computer in front of her and nodded. “School photo, right?”</p><p>“Yep. Again.”</p><p>“Didn’t like the way the first ones came out?” the woman asked, leading them to the section of the room that had been set up for her. There was another section with a lot of toys, so she figured some child would be getting their picture done eventually, too. Or already had.</p><p>“I did. But they were considered inappropriate. Is this revealing in any way to you? Like, anything about this seem like I’m going to need to have a reshoot?” Zelda asked blandly.</p><p>“No hun, I think it’s a very cute look. I love your necklace.”</p><p>Zelda smiled and watched Makeela sit in the line of chairs behind the camera.</p><p>By the time it was over, Zelda couldn’t see, white dots obscuring her vision.</p><p>“Come here, have a quick look, hun,” the woman said, ushering Zelda over to the camera.</p><p>Personally, Zelda liked her old pictures better, but she was fine with these. At least she’d have a senior picture. Makeela hovered over her shoulder, pointing out which ones she thought she should pick as the official pictures.</p><p>“We’ll send your school our edited proofs. Just brightening everything up, you know? And then you can pick from those.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Zelda muttered, wishing she didn’t have to do this again. It wasn’t a hassle, but it was annoying.</p><p>She pulled out her phone to text Medli, to see if she’d done hers yet. She briefly ignored the text from Link so she could ask Medli, and then opened Link’s message.</p><p>
  <em>“I’m in trouble today because I laughed at a customer. I’ve been sent outside until they’re gone.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What happened??”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Well… someone came in complaining that their car was making a weird noise and long story short, they had a bottle of soda in their trunk. Gabe kicked me out so I could laugh in private.”</em>
</p><p>Then, she got a picture, the corner of the building with the customer looking into their trunk, disgruntled.</p><p>Zelda snorted and grabbed Makeela as they headed back to the car, handing her the phone. “How can you not like him?”</p><p>Makeela rolled her eyes. “I’m not the one with the crush, Zelda.”</p><p>“Fine, be boring,” Zelda mumbled. “Oh! Can I try a bite of your Goron donut?”</p><p>But Makeela froze. “I… I ate it all when you were getting your photo taken. Sorry. I didn’t know you wanted to try it.”</p><p>Sighing, Zelda started the car. “Oh well. Maybe next time.”</p><p>“Hey, did you see that preview for that movie about that little guy who turns into an adult and saves the world? Looks good. Want to see it when it comes out?”</p><p>“Yeah! Absolutely.”</p><p>And, for the next few hours at Makeela’s house, Zelda was able to forget her growing nerves for Saturday and just enjoy the day with a friend.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was going to go right into Saturday, but then I forgot that she needed those pictures redone so we got a Makeela moment for this chapter instead! Not the longest chapter ever, but I needed a short one so I can work more on their Saturday!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the past few hours, Zelda had become increasingly proficient at giving herself pep talks. And she had to have burned off a ton of calories from her anxious bouncing and constantly checking the window.</p><p>If last time hadn’t been a date… was this one? Neither of them ever said the word <em>date</em>. Did she have to say the word to make it official? She’d said it with Ravio. She remembered him asking her. <em>“Hey Zelda, want to go on a double date with me and my friend?</em>” It had been beyond clear. And… boring. It had been a boring first date. She wished they’d been alone, but her discomfort was probably the first thing that gave away that they weren’t going to work out well. And they hadn’t really been friends beforehand, so there was no way to mistake it for anything else.</p><p>But she was Link’s friend… so maybe there was room to misinterpret it?</p><p>With a deep breath, she decided to get out of her room and just wait outside.</p><p>Air.</p><p>Air was good.</p><p>She toyed with the bottom of her shirt. It was cropped and showed some of her stomach. She could hear Mrs. Joy’s voice ringing through her head and wondered—for the four hundredth time—if she should change. She had a light jacket over it, especially given that the chilly weather had already begun to come in. And she was in jeans, which had small rips in the knees.</p><p>Link had suggested she wear sneakers or boots for her first time on the motorcycle, just so nothing slipped off. She’d chosen boots. He’d also warned her that they weren’t moving without her wearing a helmet, so she kept her hair down.</p><p>Her phone rang.</p><p>“Hey,” Link said. “I’m coming around the corner.”</p><p>“I’m outside,” she said quickly, and hanging up abruptly on him when she saw his bike turn onto her street.</p><p>He stopped right in front of her and pulled his helmet off, sending his wild helmet-hair out in every direction. But his attention was too focused on Zelda as his eyes took their sweet time taking her in.</p><p>She wanted to squirm, but she couldn’t help the <em>good</em> feeling she felt when he looked at her like that. She had to consciously control her breathing, to breathe in <em>and</em> out. His appearance wasn’t helping at all. He was in an open, green flannel shirt, a white tee shirt underneath, and jeans. But it was just <em>him</em> all around that made it difficult to breathe, or to focus on anything else. Like… saying hi. Which she forgot to do.</p><p>Thankfully, he had a little more composure than she did. “You look great, Zel.”</p><p>“Thank you. You too.”</p><p>He smirked and noticed her unusual expression, though he’d thankfully misinterpreted it. “Nervous? You don’t have to get on.”</p><p>“Nervous, but good nerves. I’m getting on this thing.”</p><p>“Okay,” he said, handing her the spare helmet he’d brought, fiddling with his own as he watched her.</p><p>“How do I get on the bike?” she asked when she’d snapped her helmet into place.</p><p>Link scooted forward and patted the spot behind him. “Throw your leg over. It’s nothing special.”</p><p>“Right,” she muttered, putting her foot behind Link’s. “Can I use your shoulder?”</p><p>“Yeah, of course,” he said.</p><p>She grabbed him, sending a familiar rush of energy through her, and she threw her leg over. “Whoa… okay,” she said to herself as the bike shook. She cleared her throat before scooting far behind him, fishing for somewhere to put her hands. She didn’t want to seem too eager or anything. “Ready,” she muttered, grabbing the seat.</p><p>He turned around and grinned at her, checking where she had her feet before putting his own helmet on. “Comfortable back there? Got something to hold on to?”</p><p>She cleared her throat again. “Yep.”</p><p>His grin got wider. “Okay.”</p><p>And he let the motorcycle jerk forward before stopping it.</p><p>Zelda let out a short yelp, sliding forward in the seat when he hit the brakes, crashing into his back. Her arms automatically left the seat she’d been holding and wrapped around his waist. She felt him stiffen but relax almost immediately. But on top of that, she could feel the muscles in his stomach jumping around as he laughed.</p><p>“Link!” she choked out but felt her own giddy nervous laughter bubble up.</p><p>He turned to her. “You were so far back; I just couldn’t help it.”</p><p>“Is this better?” she asked, adjusting herself. She was right on top of him now, with no space between her front and his back. And she kind of loved the shockwaves she felt at the constant contact, the nervously high energy spiraling around her gut.</p><p>“Hold on tight, Princess.”</p><p>She was <em>so</em> glad he couldn’t see her brutally red face as he rolled the bike gently this time, letting her get a feel for it before picking up the pace.</p><p>When they got to the first stop sign, after going no more than 10mph, Zelda squeezed half the air from him.</p><p>“You okay?” he asked, though it was choked, breathless.</p><p>She hummed into his ear. “Yep! I just didn’t know you could stop gently. I was bracing myself.”</p><p>She felt him laugh again. “I’m not sorry.”</p><p>Zelda loosened her grip slightly as Link went easily through the back streets. He could feel her grip tighten when they turned corners, or stopped, or sped up to go up a hill, and as funny as the first time was, he didn’t want to scare her by hopping on the highway immediately. And… he didn’t <em>really</em> want to rush this.</p><p>It was only when he stopped feeling her nervous gestures that he leaned back at a stop sign. “Doing better now?”</p><p>“Yeah. Thanks.”</p><p>“Mind if we go a little faster? We can take all back roads if you’d prefer, but it’ll take a while.”</p><p>She tightened her grip again, holding the loose front of his flannel shirt so she didn’t feel so weird balling up her fists. “I trust you. Go ahead.”</p><p>He nodded and took a left, heading toward the main roads, and eventually, the highway. And while he was very cautious and focused on the road, especially with Zelda behind him, he was also incredibly distracted <em>because of</em> Zelda.</p><p>She left <em>no</em> space between them, and his body pressed into every single curve of her body, sending a shiver through him more than once. It almost—and he meant <em>almost</em>—had him relieved for some space when they eventually pulled into Hylian Energized, one in a different location than her usual spot, which surprised Zelda slightly.</p><p>He pulled his helmet off, running a hand through his hair to fix it before turning to Zelda again. “What did you think?”</p><p>She was still clutching him. “That was incredible. Gods, you have to bring me to school every day now.”</p><p>“Fine by me,” he chuckled, running his hand along hers where it fisted his shirt. “You can let go and take off your helmet, you know. If you want.”</p><p>She hastily let go of him, feeling the cold loss of contact as she pushed herself back. “Right, sorry. How do I…?”</p><p>“Hold on again.”</p><p>She grabbed his shoulder and swung her leg over, taking her helmet off, and then looking awkwardly around for somewhere to put it.</p><p>Link turned the bike off and hit the kickstand, holding his hand out to her as he got off. “I’ll take it.”</p><p>He put his over the mirror, and hers on the handlebar. They were going inside a building with huge windows, and a very clear view of his bike, so he wasn’t concerned.</p><p>But he looked at Zelda and hesitantly lifted his hand. She watched, unsure what he was doing, but having plenty of time to back away before Link decided to go for it, and he ran his fingers through her hair, fixing the spot that had been flattened by the helmet.</p><p>His fingers burned with electricity, and her mouth dropped slightly in surprise, but she didn’t pull away until he gave a nod of approval.</p><p>“Thanks,” she managed before hurrying up the step to hold the door open for him.</p><p>“Thank <em>you</em>,” he said, brushing past her to grab the next door.</p><p>She ducked under his arm and felt surprisingly calm, like this whole experience was natural. Like she wasn’t on a maybe-date with Link.</p><p>“Hi welcome to Hyrule Energized. Would you like to try our specialty Oocoo Rolls?”</p><p>“What?” Zelda laughed. “Not a Goron Donut?”</p><p>“Sorry, that’s not available at this location.”</p><p>“Damn,” she muttered. But she turned to Link. “Are you getting something to eat, or just drink, or like… a snack thing?”</p><p>“I was going to just grab a drink. I usually skip lunch. It’s partially why you don’t actually see me eat at school. Least favorite meal.”</p><p>“So… just drinks sounds good?”</p><p>“Sure. Your usual?”</p><p>Zelda grinned, ready to see if he actually remembered. “Yeah.”</p><p>He turned back to the counter. “We’ll get a medium iced coffee with soymilk and two sugars, and a small hot coffee, black, please.”</p><p>She had to bite back her smile as she reached for her money. He’d gotten it right. But she felt Link’s hand stop her.</p><p>“You covered it last time. My turn.” He watched her make a face as he pulled out his wallet. “I do have <em>some</em> money to spend, you know.”</p><p>“Next time, I pay.”</p><p>“Deal,” he said, handing over the cash.</p><p>So, they sat at a table in the corner for a while, casually sipping their drinks. Link tried Zelda’s, though he couldn’t hide his grimace as he tried to swallow it down, and likewise, Zelda coughed at she tried Link’s bitter, hot coffee.</p><p>It was what Zelda had always envied about Link and Ilia: they were easy together. They didn’t talk about anything specific or deep or noteworthy, it was just an easy conversation, back and forth, enjoying the other’s company. Even after both of their drinks had been finished, they stayed there, laughing at bad jokes, feeling their nerves melt away with every passing moment they spent.</p><p>But finally, Link stretched. “Okay, Princess, any ideas on where to go?”</p><p>She looked out the window. “I’m not really familiar with this part of town.”</p><p>“This is my turf, that’s probably why.”</p><p>“Your turf?” she asked, her ears perking. “You live around here, don’t you?”</p><p>He nodded slowly, uneasily.</p><p>“You don’t want me to see where you live, do you?”</p><p>He clicked his tongue, starting to fidget. “It’s… not quite the same quality as your house.”</p><p>“I don’t mind, you know,” she tried. “But if you really don’t want to, that’s fine.”</p><p>Link let that sit for a moment, debating it. “It’s… there’s a, uh, a park close to me. Walking distance from where I live. Do you want to go there first and give me some time to mull it over?”</p><p>Zelda smiled, considering it a small victory.</p><p>“Of course. Let’s go.”</p>
<hr/><p>Zelda sat on the swing, watching Link dodge the legs of a nearby child on the next swing over. Zelda had managed to steal the seat from a child who’d run to the slide, but ran back over when she took their seat, giving her a dirty look, as if it would make her get up. And the fact that she was barely moving so she could talk to Link wasn’t helping the aggressive looks the small child was shooting at her. They had to be about twelve.</p><p>“Fucking hell,” Link hissed as the kid next to him deliberately spun their seat, wildly flailing their legs out dangerously close to Link. He pulled the metal of Zelda’s swing away just before the kid’s leg could hit her too. “Why are you determined to sit here?” Link asked her, though his eyes were on the spiteful children who wanted their seat back.</p><p>“I like swings,” Zelda said simply, making sure her voice was loud enough that the children understood passive aggressiveness when they heard it. “And I have no plans to get up!”</p><p>At that, the one beside them skidded their feet into the dirt below and gave her a dirty look before joining their friend on the other side of the playground.</p><p>Link hastily stole the seat, grinning triumphantly when the kid turned around to glare one final time.</p><p>Zelda felt herself giggling like a child.</p><p>Link smirked, but his eyes turned down to the dirt.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” she asked.</p><p>His head shot around before he looked at her, like he was checking around. “Nothing. Just… no. Nothing.”</p><p>Zelda kicked the dirt so she was swinging to the sides, closer to Link. “I promise you, I’ve been to my friends’ houses and none of them live here. There’s no one who’s going to see us, if that’s your concern.”</p><p>“Other people at the school live here.”</p><p>“I don’t really care if they see me.”</p><p>“I do. I don’t want anything to happen.”</p><p>Zelda rolled her eyes. “It’s getting a little annoying, Link. How many more times do I have to tell you? What can I do to prove that I just don’t care? I like hanging with you. I don’t care if we’re at my house, or at this park, or… in a sewer, I don’t know. I don’t care.”</p><p>Link took a deep breath and reached out to stop her swing, determined to have her attention. “<em>I care,</em>” he said again, a little angrier, matching her annoyed tone.</p><p>But this time, Zelda snapped. “Why?” she all but shouted.</p><p>“Because!” he snapped back. “Because I’m a fucking curse, okay? The people I love, die! The people I want in my life, leave! The people I care about get hurt! And I fucking care about you. I’m not stupid enough to think you aren’t going to get hurt from this, and I really don’t want to do that to you <em>just</em> <em>because</em> I want to be around you. It’s selfish, and it’s a jackass move. And every time I ask you to hang out, or you ask me, I feel like shit because I know how this will end up. I’ve seen it. Ilia had the fucking worst freshmen year because of me. My sister put her life on hold for me. I’m the common thread in everything that goes wrong.”</p><p>Zelda stood and tugged the chain on Link’s swing. “Get up, Link.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Stand up,” she muttered, taking his hand and pulling.</p><p>“Zelda…” he muttered, though he did as she instructed.</p><p>And he froze when he felt her wrap her arms around his waist.</p><p>She was holding him as tightly as she had on the bike, but there was an entirely different sensation behind it. Her nose was pressed into his neck, and when she spoke, he could feel every vibration on his flesh.</p><p>“Link… hug me back or I’m not letting go.”</p><p>She could feel him sigh as his hands tentatively wrapped around her, light and barely there. But it was a start.</p><p>“Listen to me, Link…” Zelda said. “When you told me that you tried to quit smoking and I said I’m sorry, do you remember what you said? Because I do. You told me not to be sorry because I didn’t make you do it. And that annoyed me at the time, because empathy isn’t a bad thing. But guess what, Link? I make my own decisions, and I live with the consequences. Me hanging with you? You don’t make me do it. You didn’t force me onto your bike. And it’s one thing if you don’t want me to be here, that’s something else… but if you want me here, I’m here. I <em>want</em> to be here. So if you want me to go home because you don’t really want to be friends, that’s fine. That’s a different issue. But if that’s not the case, then you don’t make that decision for me. Do you hear what I’m saying?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Okay… which is it then?”</p><p>She felt him let out a breath, and he tightened his grip on her, pulling her closer. “I want you here, Zel. It’s just… is it a bad thing that I don’t want to see you get hurt because of me?”</p><p>“No, it’s not,” she said. Link had loosened his arms again, and she pulled back just enough that she could look him straight in the eyes. “But you can’t take my choice away from me. You don’t get to make this decision alone.”</p><p>“You’re choosing to be hurt?”</p><p>Zelda bit her lip and hit Link’s arm. “No! I’m choosing you over bad friendships. If they’re my friends, they’ll get over it. If they don’t… they’re people I don’t want in my life. And besides… <em>you </em>asked me to hang out.”</p><p>“Because I don’t have any self-control,” he muttered halfheartedly.</p><p>“Bullshit, Link.”</p><p>His eyes shot over to her and he shoved his hands into his pockets, levelly meeting her eyes. “Why is it bullshit, Zelda?”</p><p>“Because I’ve seen you with self-control.”</p><p>“Because I didn’t punch your friend?”</p><p>Zelda wanted to pull out her hair. “Because you are <em>good!</em>” She stormed away, needing a minute. She sat on the nearest playground toy that wasn’t the swings. It was a merry-go-round.</p><p>She couldn’t help but feel like a pouting child while sitting on the toy, her legs crossed and her arms resting on her knees as she watched Link approach her. He knelt in front of her.</p><p>“I’m sorry. I’m not…” he tripped over the words and rolled his eyes, disgusted with himself. “I’m not used to people choosing me. My sister did, and it ruined her life.”</p><p>“You <em>think </em>it did. Have you ever asked her?”</p><p>He stayed quiet.</p><p>“That’s what I thought,” she muttered.</p><p>And as Zelda sat there, staring at Link, meeting his gaze in the same way she had been all day, she realized that this was easy too. Fighting. Something inside her pushed her to say what she wanted. She didn’t feel like she would say the wrong thing. It was just like having a normal conversation in that way: she wasn’t scared of losing him. Easy.</p><p>And Link realized it too.</p><p>His lip tipped up after too long and he pushed the metal bar, spinning Zelda away from him in a wide circle until she returned where she’d started. She was fighting back a grin, forcing a neutral expression on her face. But Link kept spinning her, and with every turn, her composure broke more and more until it was raucous laughter.</p><p>When it was spinning fast enough, Link hopped on beside her, and she grabbed his arm, still laughing.</p><p>It wasn’t for a long time that the merry-go-round stopped spinning long enough that they no longer felt incredibly sick.</p><p>When it finally subsided, Link grabbed Zelda’s hand, taking it tight in his, not his usual sheepishness. “Zelda. Thank you.”</p><p>She placed her other hand on top of their already joined ones and nodded.</p><p>His grip tightened again. Very unusual. “Do you want to see where I live?”</p><p>“Is that actually what you want?” she challenged.</p><p>“Want,” he scoffed. “I <em>want </em>to show you that I live in a mansion. That I have three cars. That I could buy you a coffee every day. But… I <em>would like to </em>show you where I live.”</p><p>“Okay,” she said, nodding. “As long as you're okay with it. Whenever you’re ready.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The ride to Link’s house was as short as he’d said. His street was literally the next one over. When Zelda was off the bike, he worked to secure it more than he had at the park and the coffee shop.</p>
<p>Zelda looked around at the set of houses in front of her. It was a long building with several entrances, individual houses all connected to each other, stacked so there could be many families in a small area, as long as they didn’t expect their own personal space. The paint was chipping off the siding of the brown buildings, too obvious from the color differences. It was clear that the landlord didn’t care, because it was unmistakable.</p>
<p>“Which one is yours?” she asked when Link was finally beside her.</p>
<p>He fiddled with the keyring in his hand, leading her on. “We’re in 36.” He pushed the door open and held it for Zelda. “I’m just going to go cover my bike. You can look around.” He grabbed a tarp and headed back outside.</p>
<p>Zelda stepped inside and crossed her arms. Well, it wasn’t a mansion, but she didn’t know what he was so ashamed of.</p>
<p>Sure, it was small. There was a small seating area with a kitchen attached in a rather unceremonious way. The colors were a little drab. The wallpaper was peeling. But overall, Zelda thought Link had overexaggerated. She’d half been expecting a large rat to greet her.</p>
<p>By the door was a coat rack, a couch, and a decent size end table, one that was covered with pictures. She knelt in front of them. And her eye immediately went to the most obvious one, her hand covering her mouth in surprise.</p>
<p>She heard Link’s footsteps before he closed and locked the door behind him, chuckling when he saw her.</p>
<p>“Why,” she said slowly as he approached, “<em>Why</em> do you have your mugshot framed?”</p>
<p>Link knelt beside her, stifling his laughter. Teenaged Link stared at them in the frame, lip cut and swollen, eye puffy, and cheek bruised. He looked pissed… rightfully so, she supposed, since he was being arrested.</p>
<p>But real Link looked the exact opposite. He was highly amused. “It’s a nice reminder of where I don’t want to be.”</p>
<p>Zelda didn’t expect that answer, but it had her smiling, if only because real Link looked particularly happy at the fact, like it was the truest thing he’d ever said.</p>
<p>“Tell me who some of these other people are!” Zelda said, her eyes darting around. There were a couple she could reason out. Younger pictures of Link… but she wanted him to give her the tour.</p>
<p>“Okay,” he said, surprised by her answer, by her casual topic shift, that she wasn’t madly appalled. “This is Aryll, my sister. And she’s with her boyfriend, Colin.” Zelda stared at an uncanny clone of Link as a female. There was no doubt they were siblings. His finger pointed to each picture as he went along. “Me. My sister and I. Our old house. Oh, you’ve seen this one,” he said, pointing one out specifically. It was the wallpaper of his phone: him, Pipit, Ilia, and Mikau. “My parents when they first met. Me at Gabe’s. This one is hard to see, but it’s Aryll swimming. Mikau and I fishing down at Lake Hylia.”</p>
<p>Zelda’s eyes trailed along the years of photographs, framed and kept on display, even the worst memories. She grabbed Link’s arm as she stared at the youngest photo of him… well… it <em>had </em>to be him. “Is this you?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Link groaned. Prepubescent, zit-covered, awkward haircut, poor choice in clothes? Yeah. It was him.</p>
<p>“Gods, you were so cute!” She turned to him with a wide smile. “What happened?”</p>
<p>He held out his hand to help her up off her knees. “I grew into the teeth.”</p>
<p>“You grew into a lot of things,” she muttered absently before realizing what she’d said. “I mean… you look better now. But you were so cute then.” <em>Stop talking</em>, she hissed internally.</p>
<p>Whether it was his own embarrassment at the awkwardly backhanded compliment, or he took pity on her, he graciously let it slide without comment. “I didn’t see any pictures of you at your house,” he noted, passing by another whole row of photos. There were some on the walls too. It was so… personal. The house had a personality.</p>
<p>“No, you didn’t,” Zelda said, suddenly realizing that it was the major thing her home was missing. “Our pictures are all in albums. We only frame scenery.”</p>
<p>“Hmm, too bad. I guarantee I’d have seen one picture of you with pigtails. You scream that you were a pigtail kid.”</p>
<p>Zelda ran a hand through her hair. Maybe he knew her <em>too </em>well now. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she tried.</p>
<p>He laughed, feeling validated before leading her the few steps into the cramped kitchen. They were on top of each other immediately from the lack of space, and there were a few plastic bags on top of the counter, still unpacked.</p>
<p>“Kitchen. Living room. Dining room. All check.” He brought her around a corner to two closed doors. “Aryll’s room and the bathroom.” He didn’t linger there, opting to bring her to the room he was more comfortable with.</p>
<p>He pushed the door open and scooted inside, kicking a few things into a corner and tossing a shirt over them. “My room. Sorry, I didn’t expect a visitor.”</p>
<p>“No problem.” She leaned against the doorframe, as he had for her room. It was cluttered, but not a mess. His bed was… interesting. Unmade. Several notebooks and pens, a <em>thick </em>old laptop plugged in, a textbook, and a book-book were all scattered across the sheet and comforter.</p>
<p>“Homework,” he muttered, following her eyes.</p>
<p>“Why is your bed… what is… it’s… different.”</p>
<p>He snorted. “It’s a futon. Before we moved here, I slept in our old living room. We only had one bedroom. So the futon came with me and is now a permanent bed.” He cleared his throat and began shoving notebooks inside other books to mark the pages before tossing them into the pile and sliding the laptop against the wall on the ground. “You can come in, you know. There aren’t many other places to go.”</p>
<p>She stepped into the room and immediately felt like she’d entered his personal space.</p>
<p>Beside his bed was a dresser and a lamp, but also an old iPod dock and a <em>very </em>handmade radio, circuits showing and all, a little antenna sticking up from the back.</p>
<p>“Did you make that radio?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he said, flipping a few things until a very clear song played out through old, beat up speakers.</p>
<p>But Zelda stood over the contraption, eyeing it with awe. “This is incredible. You’re holding out on me with your talent. What else do you build?”</p>
<p>Link sat on his bed to let her have more space to look around. “I fix more than I build. Like… the speakers were tossed, so Gabe and I fixed them.”</p>
<p>She spun around to keep looking and grinned back at Link. “I’m not surprised by this.”</p>
<p>He leaned forward to see what she was referring to and immediately covered his face with his hand, chuckling at his own embarrassment. A poster of Amalia on the back of his door. “Fuck off, Zelda. I’ll find your Castor one yet.”</p>
<p>“You won’t find it in my room,” she admitted, sympathetic to him for her discovery. It wasn’t… the most innocent poster. But also not something she felt she needed to shield her eyes from. “But you haven’t looked through the photos on my phone. So… I’ll give you that one tidbit for free.”</p>
<p>He choked a bit.</p>
<p>She snorted and her hand rested on the guitar in the corner. “Will you play something?”</p>
<p>He held out his hand, hoping the nice distraction might bring down the red in his face. He sat up a little straighter and gestured for Zelda to sit. “Any requests?”</p>
<p>“Surprise me,” she said, joining him on the bed, legs crossed and comfortable as she leaned against the wall.</p>
<p>“Okay,” he muttered, thinking to himself before letting his fingers glide across the strings, playing a hauntingly slow tune. His eyes flickered up to hers. “Guess.”</p>
<p>Zelda listened, her head bobbing along. And as Link struck on certain note, she pushed his leg excitedly. “<em>Closer to Sealed</em>! The Indigo-Go’s! Oh gods, that was so different from their version too! I love it!”</p>
<p>He chuckled and nodded, stopping the notes and thinking again. “Okay, Superfan, try to name this one.”</p>
<p>His foot tapped in rhythm as he riffed in a very different genre than the Indigo-Go’s would ever even consider. Zelda made a face, one that had Link smugly grinning at her before returning his attention to the unconventional tune.</p>
<p>Zelda’s face scrunched up, but her eyes started to widen as she heard it, muttering the lyrics to herself. “…<em>white falls in the valley, clouds down in the gorge</em>…”</p>
<p>“Mhmm.” Link kept going when he saw that she’d closed her eyes, still swaying to the song and singing softly to herself, for the most part, keeping up with Link despite him changing the tune.</p>
<p>But she stumbled over one section, and Link picked it up for her, a whisper as he sang.</p>
<p>Zelda was too intrigued, a wide smile over her face, to interrupt him. It wasn’t until his foot nudged her that she started back up, just in time for the end.</p>
<p>“<em>This Town’s Walking Asleep</em>. Wow you played that so differently! You could make videos of your covers, you know. And you can sing, Link! I’m impressed with you today.”</p>
<p>“Just today?” he said, grinning. “Don’t tell anyone I sang. They’ll try to shove me in the play or something. You, Aryll, and Pipit are the only three who’ve ever heard me.”</p>
<p>“Pipit’s…” Zelda started before closing her eyes. “Wow. Okay, Link.”</p>
<p>He set the guitar beside the pillow and laid back. “He’d laugh, don’t worry.”</p>
<p>“So,” Zelda said, looking around for more things, trying to avoid any more eye contact with him while he was just lying on his bed. Because the mental images it was sending to her brain…</p>
<p>No!</p>
<p>“So,” she started again, clearing her throat. “What do you usually do for fun?”</p>
<p>“Go to work,” he snorted, earning him a brief look of exasperation from her. “Homework. I just hucked the entire piled into the corner. I don’t do much. I hang out with Pipit, sometimes Ilia, I do homework, I fix things, I run, I play guitar. You know my life, Zel. My house isn’t really bursting with things to do. I am usually literally just doing homework at this time.”</p>
<p>Zelda leaned forward and rested her chin in her hand, daring to look at him again. “I love that you’re such a nerd.”</p>
<p>He raised an eyebrow at her. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>He grinned, and she fought to keep her cool and not to—as Makeela suggested—jump him. Or at least not to just throw herself on him, if not <em>at</em> him.</p>
<p>“I’m not the only nerd in the room,” he said, tapping her with his knee as it lazily banged against her side.</p>
<p>“And proud of it,” she grinned.</p>
<p>“How long have you been doing theater?” he asked, sitting up slightly.</p>
<p>“Hrmm,” she muttered, moving to sit beside him. He stiffened as his brain froze because Zelda was now lying in his bed. Next to him. In. His. Bed.</p>
<p>He was not okay, and he was <em>so </em>glad she wasn’t waiting for his response because he needed a moment to get some control of himself.</p>
<p>If she saw his reaction, she didn’t show it. “I think I did a show in fifth grade? But definitely middle school.”</p>
<p>“But you don’t want to be an actress?”</p>
<p>She turned her head towards him, again, dangerously close. “No. Ruto and Sidon do. But not me.”</p>
<p>“Not Revali?”</p>
<p>Zelda snorted. “Politics, surprisingly.”</p>
<p>“Not so surprising, really,” Link muttered. “He does like to hear himself talk.”</p>
<p>She shook her head, grinning. “What about Ilia and Pipit?”</p>
<p>“Ilia is thinking of going into animal therapy. Like… not the animals need therapy… but using animals as part of therapy. Like horses. And Pip doesn’t want to go to college yet, so he’s sticking with Gabe for a gap year.”</p>
<p>And Zelda couldn’t stop asking him questions. How long have you known Ilia? And he’d ask the same about Makeela. Favorite food? Favorite non-Indigo’Go’s band? The questions rolled one after the other.</p>
<p>Zelda had begun to shift around, declaring his pillows to be the only uncomfortable thing about his bed. He’d bent one in half, essentially doubling its size, and she found that much more comfortable.</p>
<p>He liked that—although he was hyperaware of her—he wasn’t <em>uncomfortable</em> with her in his room… on his bed… using his pillows. He really, <em>really</em> liked it.</p>
<p>And it was by no means lost of Zelda either.</p>
<p>She’d felt herself scooting progressively closer to him as they’d been talking, and gods, she wanted to get closer still.</p>
<p>But Link hastily sat up on his arms, glancing at his door, hearing something. Not a second later, the main door opened.</p>
<p>“Link? You here? I need some help with a bag!”</p>
<p>And not a second later, a young blonde woman popped her head in the doorway of Link’s room, her eyes widening. “Oh,” she muttered, surprise written all over her features. “Dude, close the door if you’re going to have a girl over.”</p>
<p>Link rolled his eyes and hurried to his feet to stop the door before she could close it. Then he turned back to Zelda. “This is my sister, Aryll.”</p>
<p>Aryll crossed her arms and grinned at Link. “Oh, not some random chick, then? I get an introduction?”</p>
<p>Link’s posture eerily mimicked hers, a reaction more than an intentional gesture. “Fuck off.” But he turned back to Zelda. “She’s also an asshole sometimes. Mostly just to me.”</p>
<p>Zelda looked between the siblings. “I’m sure we’ll get along fine then, since you were an asshole to me and Medli when I met you.”</p>
<p>Link bit back a grin, but Aryll gasped. “Oh wait, are you Zelda?”</p>
<p>And Link closed his eyes and tried to push past Aryll. “What bag do you need help with?”</p>
<p>But she blocked his way, waiting.</p>
<p>Zelda was <em>red. </em>“Yes.”</p>
<p>Aryll held out her hand. “I swear, I’ve only heard good things.”</p>
<p>“Fucking hell,” Link muttered. His skin was <em>burning</em> with embarrassment.</p>
<p>Zelda, thankfully, was able to recover much quicker than Link could. “I’ve heard a lot about you, too. Great things.”</p>
<p>Link crashed into Aryll. “What bag?” he asked again.</p>
<p>She handed him her keys. “It’s in the trunk. The heavy one, Muscles.”</p>
<p>“Thank you.”</p>
<p>When Link had <em>bolted</em>, Aryll snorted. “I’m so sorry. You might have gotten caught in that hazing moment. Hope I didn’t embarrass <em>you</em> too much. It was purely meant to stress him out. In good fun. You should have seen what he did when I brought my boyfriend over the first time. I’m shocked he stayed with me. Link really doesn’t bring anyone over, so I’m genuinely surprised to see someone here.”</p>
<p>Zelda let out a light laugh. “I’m a little red, as you can see, but I’ll manage. I’m not sure if Link will recover from that one though.”</p>
<p>“For a little blushing softie, he’s tougher than he looks. I’ll just have to be on guard next time he’s around my boyfriend, Colin. Forgive me in advance, but there’s just no way I can <em>not </em>do this to Link. I’ve been waiting years for someone other than Ilia and Pipit to come over.”</p>
<p>“Oh, poor Link,” Zelda laughed. Aryll joined in.</p>
<p>And Link looked suspiciously at them, setting a large cardboard box on the ground with a thud.</p>
<p>“Careful!” Aryll hissed. “It’s Colin’s microwave. Can you fix it?”</p>
<p>Link opened the flaps of the box. “What’s wrong with it?”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t work.”</p>
<p>Link pressed his lips together to stop himself from laughing. “Okay. I’ll look at it later, I guess. He really didn’t give you a hint? No light? Not spinning? Not turning on? I’m really going in blind?”</p>
<p>Aryll scoffed and headed into the kitchen. “Text him later. I didn’t ask.” She fiddled noisily with a few things, the plastic bag mostly, before stopping. “Hey, since when do you eat saltine crackers?”</p>
<p>Link groaned. “For fuck’s sake, Aryll.”</p>
<p>“What?” she snapped back, a truly innocent expression settling over her, before glancing at Zelda, who was looking confused at everyone.</p>
<p>Leaning against the wall, Link shrugged, his attention on Zelda. “I don’t know. It was probably stupid. I got them for you. But like… I don’t know. For my locker, or Makeela’s or someone else’s, so if you can’t get to yours again, you’ve got something with salt on it. I don’t know. I just didn’t want you to pass out again. It’s fucking weird of me. Sorry. I was going to give them to you Monday. I’m not, like, weirdly keeping them around for fun. I don’t know.” And when he saw Zelda’s eyes water slightly, he shook his head. “It was stupid. I’m sorry. Am I making it worse? Like… you’re trying to forget and I just reminded you or somethi—”</p>
<p>“Stop!” Zelda interrupted, crossing the room to grab his hand. She pulled him closer to her, tightly wrapping her arms around him. “This is maybe the nicest thing someone’s ever done for me.”</p>
<p>“Bought you… crackers?”</p>
<p>Link looked over at Aryll, his face betraying his nerves. She scoffed at his incompetence and made a wide gesture with her arms, mouthing: “Hug her back” as she did.</p>
<p>It came slightly more naturally this time, but Link still felt awkward, like he was doing it wrong. He liked feeling Zelda against him, tight in his arms, and his subconscious brain did all the work for him, picking up the slack for his conscious mind.</p>
<p>Zelda let herself relax against him, resting her cheek on his chest. Revali had said countless times that he wanted Zelda to be safe, to stay away from Link for her own wellbeing. Link hadn’t said a word, and his small act made her feel safer than Revali ever had.</p>
<p>“I had to ask Makeela to keep one salt pill of mine with her, just in case. I asked Revali, and he said he didn’t want to get it dirty. Ravio said he had nowhere to keep it. And you just… buy me crackers without me ever even asking. Thank you.” She pulled away slightly.</p>
<p> He ran a hand through his hair. “I feel like a fucking stalker. I looked it up after you explained what happens to me in chem. I didn’t mean for it to be weird.”</p>
<p>She made a face. He was so smart, but so <em>dense</em> sometimes. “Link.” She quickly planted her lips on his cheek, holding him still when he jerked back in surprise with her hand against his neck. It was long. Gods, it was far too long for any friendly gesture. And she <em>really </em>wanted to move her lips over just a little bit. But he was already tense.</p>
<p>When she pulled back, his head snapped in her direction, his eyes wide on hers.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she said again, with a little more emphasis so he couldn’t mistake her appreciation.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” was all he managed to get out.</p>
<p>And Aryll watched from the kitchen with a small smile on her face. She couldn’t remember the last time her brother had willingly let someone into his life. And happiness was a good look on him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>School that week had been incredibly mundane and dull. She had managed an entire week without a trip to Mrs. Joy’s office, and for that, she was beyond grateful. Her pictures had to be passable. But it had truly been an unexceptional week.</p><p>She’d mostly been speaking to Link through text. He’d been swamped with work. Pipit had gotten sick, and Link had picked up a few extra shifts to cover for him.</p><p>Zelda had managed to have neutral conversations with everyone at lunch all week, conversations of the truly dull variety. It had mostly just consisted of school gossip. Link hadn’t come up once. Perhaps it had been because he’d been skipping construction of the set for his extra shifts. Perhaps when he was simply invisible to others, they truly forgot about him.</p><p>But not Zelda.</p><p>She watched him every day grow more and more tired. In ASL, she’d sent him several obnoxious texts in a row just to get his attention when his eyes had drifted shut. Eventually, he’d felt his vibrating phone and the spam of “wake up wake up wake up” from Zelda. He’d smiled and signed a thank you to her.</p><p>When Saturday came around again, Zelda was relieved to break her routine a little bit. It was Darunia’s birthday on Friday, and he’d thrown a party at his house the next day.</p><p>So, Zelda was laughing at a joke he’d told, though if she’d been honest, she nearly missed the punchline thanks to the loud music blaring through the house. She was sipping a water she’d brought with her. And Darunia was already three solid drinks in, so his story had been funny, but not for the reasons he’d intended.</p><p>Though everyone had intended on staying over for the night, Zelda had still opted for water over any alcoholic drinks. The last time she’d gone to a party, she’d thrown up from one too many; she didn’t nearly have the tolerance level she liked to pretend she had, so she erred on the side of caution this time.</p><p>Makeela had disappeared into a different room some time ago, Revali was playing cards to the tune of some drinking game she couldn’t see, and Ravio was beside him. Ruto, who’d driven Zelda, was talking to Sidon and a few others on the floor, loudly playing a game with someone’s phone. Groose was there, and his eyes shot over to her, uncomfortably raking over her to the point where she got up away from Darunia to leave for the card game, though she suddenly felt very cold and exposed in her short sleeves.</p><p>“What’s this?” she asked, hanging over someone’s shoulder.</p><p>“Kings,” Revali said, looking back over at her. “Want my seat next hand?”</p><p>Her eyes shot to Ravio, not really wanting to play a game with him if she could help it. “No, I’m good.” She backed away and leaned against the counter where there were a few other people standing, and Darunia joined again.</p><p>“Hey! Zelda!” he laughed.</p><p>“Hey!” she waved, as if she hadn’t just seen him seconds ago. “Have you seen Makeela?”</p><p>He nodded vigorously. “She and a few others… Medli…uh… who else… well, they’re outside.”</p><p>“Thanks,” she said, but he grabbed her arm, pouting.</p><p>“Don’t leave yet! You just got here!”</p><p>Zelda snorted and took a swig from her water bottle. “I’ve been here for a few hours, but okay.”</p><p>“Hey!” Darunia said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her over to the group on the floor. “Let’s play a game!”</p><p>“Okay,” she said, letting herself get dragged.</p><p>And that’s how she spent the next hour hunched over on the floor.</p><p>It wasn’t until she felt someone’s lips on her cheek that she turned around.</p><p>“Hey,” she muttered to Revali. “What’s up?”</p><p>“They want me to kiss you. But like… not on the cheek.”</p><p>Zelda scoffed, looking back at Darunia as he shouted the answer to their game before back to Revali. “They can just come see the play, then.”</p><p>“Well, it’s me or Rav, and I figured you don’t want it to be him over here.”</p><p>Zelda glanced back at the table. “What stupid game are you playing? Leave me out of it.”</p><p>“Please, Zelda, just a quick kiss. I’ll have to drink the most disgusting shit ever if I go back.”</p><p>She sighed and shrugged. He was the one person she didn’t really mind agreeing to, especially given their years of theater roles together. “Whatever. Just a quick one.”</p><p>He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, and she pulled away a second later. But he chased her, aggressively pushing at her sealed lips with his clumsy tongue. He tried to hold her, but she squirmed off his hand.</p><p>Naturally, she pushed him off of her, and he lost his balance, falling backwards. Zelda stood up, crossing her arms. “And you wonder why we haven’t been getting along recently.”</p><p>“You’re taking after Mrs. Joy. Just suck the life out of the party, why don’t you?”</p><p>“You’re drunk, Revali. Just leave me alone until you’re sober or something. Then I’ll remind you that you’re being a jerk all over again.”</p><p>She heard Ravio snicker, and her head shot in his direction. From the look on his face, and the phone in his hand, she had a feeling that they weren’t laughing at Revali.</p><p>Ravio leaned across the table and met her gaze. “How many people at this party have you kissed? I can’t even count.”</p><p>When she turned around, Revali was in front of her. Immediate waves of claustrophobia hit her, and she would have been content to just punch them all. Theater had put her in a position where she’d kissed a few people here, but the way Rav said it made her feel the way Mrs. Joy often did. Exposed. Wrong.</p><p>Frusterated, she grabbed her hair and groaned. “Gods, get the <em>fuck </em>out of my way! You’re all annoying as hell!”</p><p>“Starting to sound like your convict friend, too,” Revali muttered, though he let her pass.</p><p>She physically pushed past him, despite him letting her go, and headed outside into the back yard, hoping to find Makeela. But it was empty. She had to have missed her.</p><p>There was a large fence, and she made her way to the corner, sitting in the grass. The quiet and peace was like a little slice of heaven.</p><p>She wanted to go home, but there was no way Ruto would take her… or should, since she was drunk. She didn’t know who else had driven, but those she did know had their cars were drunk.</p><p>Maybe she just needed time.</p><p>She pulled out her phone and scrolled through some threads, enjoying the guesses for tomorrow’s episode of <em>Moonlight Howl</em>. Maybe Link would want to watch it with her, especially if Pipit was sick.</p><p>And before she knew it, she’d dialed his number.</p><p> He answered on the second ring.</p><p>“Zelda?”</p><p>“Hey,” she muttered. She could hear him fiddling with things in the background. “Sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?”</p><p>“No, I just got out of the shower. Aren’t you at a party?”</p><p>
  <em>Don’t think of Link in the shower. Don’t think of Link in the shower. </em>
</p><p>“It sucks,” she said, hoping her voice didn’t crack as she <em>definitely </em>thought of Link in the shower.</p><p>“Really? You were excited yesterday.”</p><p>“Everyone’s just rude. Revali…” she hesitated, unsure if she should even mention the kiss, but then she remembered Ravio’s phone aimed at them. If there was a video, better to get it out early. “Revali kissed me for some game, but he was… like, gross about it. It was disturbing.”</p><p>There was silence on Link’s end for a while before he finally spoke. “You can’t just leave if you’re uncomfortable?”</p><p>“No, I didn’t drive here. Ruto did. And she’s drunk. And I can’t find Makeela, so I’m just hiding out for a while.”</p><p>“Where are you?”</p><p>She looked around. “The corner of the back yard. But now that I’m looking, there’s a bench I should have sat in. This was stupid. It rained this morning. I’m sitting in wet grass, aren’t I?” She checked her pants. They didn’t feel damp, but they were cold, like the rest of her. The air was decidedly chilly now.</p><p>She could hear him chuckle, and then heard the shuffle of fabric. “I meant, what’s the address? I’ll come pick you up if you want to leave.”</p><p>Shifting onto her knees to get off the grass, she sighed. She <em>really </em>wanted to leave. “I can’t ask you to do that.”</p><p>“Brace yourself, Zel, I’m about to use your own words against you. ‘Then let me be your friend. Friends give each other rides.’” He’d raised his voice to a horrible imitation of hers.</p><p>“’When it’s raining out,’” she finished with a laugh at how ridiculous it sounded. But she sighed. “If you <em>really</em>don’t mind, I’d love to get away from these jerks tonight. 552 Rhoam Road.”</p><p>“Okay, give me like… ten-ish minutes. I’ll call or text you when I’m there.”</p><p>“Link? How do you know how to get to all these streets?”</p><p>He laughed. “I’ll tell you when I pick you up.”</p><p>And, true to his word, he called her fourteen minutes later.</p><p>“I’m across the street whenever you’re ready.”</p><p>“I’ll just grab my bag and be right out.”</p><p>She finally went back inside and grabbed her backpack with her things before heading back to Darunia.</p><p>“Hey!” he boomed again.</p><p>“Hey,” she hugged him. “Happy birthday. I hope it’s a good one.”</p><p>“Leaving?”</p><p>“Yeah. I’ll see you in class Monday though.”</p><p>“Okay! Bye Zelda!”</p><p>“Bye,” she muttered, regretting that she actually didn’t want to leave Darunia. Just everyone else. But she hurried out the door and made her way to Link, who was standing up under a streetlamp.</p><p>He looked her over, his eyes stopping on her short sleeves. “It’s already pretty cold out, Zel. On a bike, it’s colder. Got a jacket?”</p><p>“No. I didn’t really plan for this.”</p><p>Nodding, he started to peel off his own jacket. “This is becoming like our thing, isn’t it?”</p><p>“You’re the driver. You keep it. I’ll just hug you or something.”</p><p>He scoffed, but his eyes softened. “You’ll do that anyway. Hugging is <em>your</em> thing, not that I mind in the slightest. But I’ll do you one better.” Pulling his sweatshirt off—and Zelda absolutely didn’t focus <em>at all</em> on how his shirt rode up to flash a glimpse of his abs—he handed it to her before pulling the jacket back onto himself.</p><p>She shrugged off her backpack and Link held it while she tugged his sweatshirt over her head and hugged her arms to herself, like a test of its warmth. She took her backpack back and then the helmet he offered.</p><p>She missed the look Link gave her when he saw her get comfortable in his oversized sweatshirt. Her hands were deep in the sleeves and he could see where her hands were fisting the inside of the fabric to keep some of the cold air off of them.</p><p>And he had to shove his hands into his pockets when he felt the painful urge to reach out and pull her towards him, to finally feel if her lips were as soft as they looked. But no… he had to stop himself. She’d just had a moment with Revali, one that hardly screamed that she was interested in any kiss.</p><p>He tugged his helmet back on and sat on the bike, waiting to feel her arms around him. It was much less hesitant than last week, like she’d gotten used to being so close to him on the bike, because she left no room between them.</p><p>“Link,” Zelda said, resting her chin on his shoulder so he could hear. “Thank you. For all of this. I know it’s <em>really</em>out of your way.”</p><p>“For you? Anytime, Princess.”</p><p>She giggled into his shoulder blade and shamelessly let her hands wrap around his waist and clasp around his stomach, feeling his tight muscles contract and spasm when her hand brushed over them.</p><p>And neither of them knew that Revali had been watching the entire exchange from the window.</p><hr/><p>Zelda was on the couch in her house, watching reruns of an older show. Despite the chill, she didn’t need a blanket. She still had Link’s sweatshirt on, and it kept her warmer than any quilt might. And better than that, she had <em>him. </em></p><p>Link had agreed when Zelda offered that he come inside. And he’d said yes again when she offered him to watch television with her until he wanted to leave. And he’d said no when she’d offered to grab her own sweatshirt from her room so he could have his back.</p><p>Despite this couch being larger than the one upstairs, they found themselves on top of each other, always making some sort of contact.</p><p>Link had assured her that he didn’t need a sweatshirt. She had been pressed right into his arm. His shirt had short sleeves, but he didn’t mind. He was warm from just being around Zelda. But she’d pulled a blanket off the back of the couch after a while for them to share.</p><p>She’d considered it a major victory when she’d convinced him to kick off his shoes.</p><p>But their moment was broken when there was a loud bang at the door. Zelda shot up, concerned.</p><p>Link joined her. “Is it your parents? Did they forget their keys?”</p><p>“No, they’re not coming home. They thought I wasn’t going to be here.”</p><p>“Do you ever get visitors this late?”</p><p>Zelda looked at the clock. Nearly midnight. “No.”</p><p>The knock on the door was playful this time. Zelda got up and felt Link on her heels. “Hey, grab a knife or something,” she muttered, motioning to the kitchen as she pressed her ear to the door. Link came back and stood beside her.</p><p>“Hello?” Zelda called, though her hands were shaking.</p><p>“Zelda?” a familiar, voice rang out. “It’s Makeela!”</p><p>Link set the knife down and leaned against a wall as Zelda opened the door, breathing out a relieved sigh.</p><p>“Gods!” Zelda hissed. “I thought you were a murderer or something!”</p><p>Makeela strolled through the door and turned to Zelda, missing Link. Her back was to him. Zelda watched him smile. “I lost my phone, or I would have called you! I have Medli looking for it. I was so confused when I got back, and Darunia said you left and then Revali was badmouthing you, so I was just really confused. He said you kissed?”</p><p>Zelda’s eyes flickered to Link, who opted to remain silent rather than announce his presence. “He was playing some drinking game with his friends and Rav and… he just went too far. He’s drunk, you know?”</p><p>“So is Ruto. Did you call a cab?”</p><p>Zelda smirked and this time, she let her eyes stay on Link. “Sort of.”</p><p>Following Zelda’s stare, Makeela finally noticed Link and let out a brief shriek.</p><p>“Link! Gods! You nearly gave me a heart attack! How long have you been there?”</p><p>He made a face. “The whole time.”</p><p>Makeela turned back to Zelda and took in the oversized sweatshirt Zelda was wearing and Link’s suspicious lack of anything warm on. He’d left his jacket in the garage with his bike. Zelda’s hair was a mess after she’d tied it up hastily, and then proceeded to lean on Link, pulling some of it free. Neither were wearing shoes.</p><p>“Oh… <em>oh</em>, I’ll leave. I just wanted to make sure you were safe at home.”</p><p>“I am. Thank you. I’ll message you on your computer tomorrow if you don’t text me.”</p><p>“Okay, no problem. I’ll let you… get back to it.” Makeela winked before hastily spinning around.</p><p>Zelda rolled her eyes and locked the door again. “Thanks,” she muttered to Link, eyeing the knife as he picked it up to put it away.</p><p>He stretched and glanced at the clock. “I can leave you alone if you want me to go so you can sleep.”</p><p>“It’s a Saturday. I don’t usually sleep early. You can stay for a while if you want.”</p><p>“Yeah, if you’re okay with it.”</p><p>Zelda grinned as he headed back to the couch. She followed and wasted no time, pulling the blanket back over them and leaning right into Link. And his arm immediately draped across her shoulders, needing no prodding this time, as he held her tightly against him.</p><p>“So,” she said with a smile. “What do you want to watch?”</p><p>It wasn’t until a few hours later when the television had made a particularly loud noise that Zelda’s eyes fluttered open. The entire room was dark save for the flashing lights off the screen. But she was looking at something entirely unexpected.</p><p>Link’s throat.</p><p>And then she could feel him. He was <em>everywhere</em>. She was lying on his arm, pressed into his chest, his arms locked around her, relaxed with sleep and tight with subconscious effort to keep her from falling off the couch. His shallow breath against her hair and forehead.</p><p>It started coming back to her. He’d fallen asleep first, but she’d followed shortly after. And then she’d found herself on his shoulder until she started to slip down his chest. And then he’d woken and adjusted her so she wouldn’t fall. And that brought them lower so they were lying together under the blanket on the couch, no longer sitting at all, barely awake enough to register that they’d been moving at all.</p><p>Her hands were trapped between both their chests, still stuck in his long sweatshirt sleeves. The scent of Link was all she knew in that moment. Clean and fresh from his shower earlier, overwhelmingly <em>Link</em> in the best way. So, rather than wake him up and send him home, she did the most logical thing.</p><p>She closed her eyes and went back to sleep, dreaming of a certain blonde-haired boy with his arms around her. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>When I initially wrote everyone’s names on paper, you’ll notice that Nintendo has an addiction to certain letters, namely, R. In this fic alone, we have Ravio, Revali, Ruto, Ralis, Riju (which is why I went with Makeela). I must have mistyped Ravio and Revali about 40 times this chapter. I’m sorry if I missed any of those typos; let me know. I hate it. Why did I choose the similar names? Why did Nintendo??</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So, darling,” Arina Harkinian said as she did her makeup for the day. “I didn’t really see you last night. How was Revali’s party?”</p>
<p>“Darunia’s,” Zelda corrected, sitting on her parents’ bed. She was ready to go, but figured she’d take the opportunity to talk to her mom before she bolted back to work. “It was fine. Nothing… noteworthy.”</p>
<p>“Oh, too bad. I knew you were looking forward to it. Was there alcohol there?”</p>
<p>Zelda sighed as she watched her mom reach for the mascara. “If there was, I didn’t drink it.”</p>
<p>“Good. And you slept well?”</p>
<p>Zelda blushed, grateful that her mother was too preoccupied to notice. She thought of Link’s arms around her, of their awkward—though by no means unpleasant—realization that Link had spent the night. She thought of how they’d laughed and ate cereal together before she’d given him back his sweatshirt and the strange feeling <em>she </em>felt when he pulled it back over his head. And though he’d left without staying much later, they’d spent the next several hours on the phone until her parents had both returned, exhausted and heading straight for bed.</p>
<p>But all she did for her mother was nod. “I slept very well.”</p>
<p>“Well, that’s good at least.” She capped her eye makeup and grabbed her lipstick. “Listen, darling, your father and I have to go away for your break. We’ll both be travelling for work. It’s a full week, so I want you to stay with Makeela, or have her come over. Don’t stay alone that whole time.”</p>
<p>“What?” Zelda balked. “A week? Where are you going? Holodrum?”</p>
<p>Arina glanced guiltily at her daughter in the mirror before returning her attention.</p>
<p>“No, let me come, Mom! I can help! I can sort all of your stuff! I’ll clean the hotel room! I’ll take you and dad’s calls. I can do something. Please, let me come with you if you can’t stay!”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Zelda. It’s a business meeting. We can’t take you, no matter how much we want you to come.”</p>
<p>“Well, are you at least going to be home more until then?”</p>
<p>Arina set her things down and turned. “Your father and I have very important jobs. We don’t get to choose our schedules, you know that. We work when it’s convenient for our clients. And our clients are not on the same schedule that we are. I’m so sorry, Zelda. I don’t know the answer to that question.”</p>
<p>“Fine,” Zelda muttered. “Is there anything I can help you with while you’re here?”</p>
<p>Arina, admittedly, gave it her best effort. Her forehead crinkled with the focus she was using to try and conjure up some kind of task she could give Zelda. But they’d gotten a new secretary, and Zelda’s presence was just unprofessional.</p>
<p>“You… could… do some research here? Find out a little bit about one of our clients for us: <em>Telma’s</em>. Big distributer in spirits. Can you do that?”</p>
<p>But Zelda was no child. She knew it was busy work to make her feel better. “Yeah, sure.”</p>
<p>“Okay, thank you.”</p>
<p>With a heavy sigh, Zelda stood up and leaned on the doorframe. “I’m going to go. Are you going to be here for dinner?”</p>
<p>“Yes, tonight I can be here. I promise.”</p>
<p>“Okay. See you then.”</p>
<p>And as Zelda sat in her car, she had a terrible feeling that promise would be broken again. But there was little she could do except just go to school, like usual.</p>
<p>She parked beside Link and headed in.</p>
<p>As usual, he was sitting on the ground in front of his locker with a book in his lap. When he saw her, he pulled out one of his earbuds. “Hey.”</p>
<p>“Hey,” she smiled, opening her locker and shoving most of her things inside. She was feeling a little flirty, and the way Link looked at her usually made her feel it hard. “Sleep well?”</p>
<p>But apparently, Link was feeling it more. “Yeah. But I slept better the night before.”</p>
<p>Zelda bit her lip as she watched him smirk, his chest bouncing with restrained laughter. He’d turned red, but she was far worse.</p>
<p>After taking several needed breaths and—since they were at school—trying <em>not</em> to remember waking up in Link’s arms yesterday morning, she managed to change the subject. “No Ilia today?”</p>
<p>“She has a headache. She’s not coming in.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I hope she feels better.”</p>
<p>He nodded and watched Zelda pull her textbook for her first class out and tuck it under her arm.</p>
<p>“Link,” she said, looking down the hall quickly. “Can I test your resolve?”</p>
<p>“Why?” he asked sheepishly, the question catching him way off guard. “What are you going to do?”</p>
<p>“Can I sit with you?”</p>
<p>He almost seemed somewhat relieved, like he’d been expecting something else. But he looked down the lightly occupied hallway. “You sure?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>He let out a breath and patted the spot beside him. She took it and felt a simultaneous feeling of immense comfort and discomfort at the same time. It was strange to even be<em> near</em> Link at school, let alone sit beside him, their crossed legs touching at the knee.</p>
<p>Link’s other leg was bouncing, and Zelda boldly placed her hand on his leg nearest her. “Just breathe, Link.”</p>
<p>He flinched at the surprise contact, but hesitantly, his hand moved over hers and he looked at her. She didn’t seem appalled or ready to pull away, so he wrapped his fingers around her hand, his thumb resting near her wrist in a way that sent several sparks through them both at the new point of contact.  </p>
<p>If ever there was a time Zelda needed to take her own advice, it was now.</p>
<p>She could not breathe.</p>
<p>And when his thumb ran a small pattern over her skin, his eyes on hers the entire time—like he was testing her, or at least gauging her reaction—she thought it was entirely possible she might just pass out from lack of air, dizzy under his attention. Her mouth dropped a bit, surprised by him, and it had Link smirking once again.</p>
<p>“Zelda?” a voice called.</p>
<p>Link pulled his hand back and he reached for his textbook.</p>
<p>“Hi!” Zelda choked, still trying to compose herself.</p>
<p>Mr. Auru was walking by, no express purpose. He looked between the two. “Oh, I didn’t know you two were friends. Well, if you’re not in my class together causing mayhem like you and Makeela, I wouldn’t know, would I?”</p>
<p>“I maintain that we aren’t as bad as you think we are.”</p>
<p>Link scoffed, and Zelda turned on him, her mouth wide with playful accusation.</p>
<p>“He’s right,” Mr. Auru laughed. “Link?”</p>
<p>He looked up.</p>
<p>“Are you staying safe?”</p>
<p>Zelda looked between them, figuring Mr. Auru was referring to Link and Revali’s near fight.</p>
<p>“I am, Sir.”</p>
<p>Mr. Auru grinned. “I always knew there was an extra reason I liked you. Do you know how many students here call me ‘sir’? One. Thank <em>you</em>, Sir,” he laughed. “Well, you two can keep doing what you were doing. I’ll see you both in your classes later.”</p>
<p>He headed back down the hall and Zelda glanced at Link, still reeling from him. “What are you listening to today?” she tried, hopeful that the light subject would let her chill out.</p>
<p>“Not the Indigo-Go’s, sorry. The Gorman Brothers.”</p>
<p>“Are they good?”</p>
<p>“I think you’ll like them.” He offered her his earbud, which she took. And for a while, they stayed together, just listening as the hallway began to crowd up and eyes began to wander in their direction.</p>
<p>Zelda had anticipated feeling awkward, but the level of discomfort she felt at the prying eyes and hushed whispers had her genuinely squirming. Link too. There were stretches of time where they just made eye contact with each other, a silent conversation about splitting apart or staying together.</p>
<p>But like Zelda had said, this decision had to be made together. And neither of them moved.</p>
<p>“So, this is who you were doing the other night when you left Darunia’s party.”</p>
<p>Zelda felt Link tense next to her, but Revali’s appearance and his words had her on her feet immediately, Link following suit.</p>
<p>“What’s it matter to you what I do, Revali? You have never been such an asshole in all the years I’ve known you.”</p>
<p>“When you decided to hang with the wrong people, I started losing respect that you knew what good choices were.” Revali’s eyes darted to Link. “And you? You’ve turned her against us. She was a good person with good friends until you came into her life and starting talking shit about us.”</p>
<p>Zelda could see Link about to say something, but she grabbed his arm, stopping him. The gesture was not unmissed by Revali, and she knew it.</p>
<p>She narrowed her eyes at him. “I <em>was</em> a good person? Because I didn’t want you to kiss me, that’s what makes me a bad person? Because you have no control over yourself?”</p>
<p>Revali’s eyes darted to Link’s, expecting him to have some reaction, but he was disappointed to realize that Link already knew what Revali had tied to do. “<em>Me</em>?” Revali spat. “At least I won’t go to juvie if I lose control and hit your new boyfriend. If he hits me, he’ll go straight to the big leagues, right? Because he’s already got a record.”</p>
<p>Zelda turned to Link apologetically. It was the easiest jab, and one that didn’t hit hard, but Zelda felt for Link all the same.</p>
<p>He just shook his head dismissively. Taunts against himself were things he’d grown used to. It was hearing them against Zelda that had him fighting back old instincts.</p>
<p>“Scared to let him fight me, Zelda? Ravio was right about you after all, I guess. You are just a coward. I can see why he broke up with you.”</p>
<p>Link moved first, but he stopped himself when he saw Zelda taking a quick step forward, and instead, he went for Zelda. She crashed hard into Link, and he grunted from the impact, but when she realized she wasn’t on Revali, she let herself stop fighting. Link had her too tight, and she was going nowhere.</p>
<p>“Fuck off, Revali! Outside of our lines in the play, just don’t speak to me.”</p>
<p>“Hey!” Makeela said, running over as she saw the commotion. “What’s happening? Revali, back up!”</p>
<p>Link loosened his hold on Zelda and looked at her questioningly. He could see that there was something like a burning betrayal in her while she looked at her friend… or… former friend, he supposed.</p>
<p>Makeela and Revali’s arguing started to fade from his ears as he brushed the back of his hand against Zelda to get her attention.</p>
<p>She turned to him, softening immediately but looking defeated by something. <em>This</em> was one of the things he’d tried to warn her about. That <em>he </em>wasn’t the only one who’d get attacked, but that Zelda would too.</p>
<p>Though he didn’t speak, Zelda could hear his voice just from the look he gave her: <em>“I’m not worth losing the rest of your friends.”</em></p>
<p>Zelda grabbed Link’s hand, threading her fingers through his.</p>
<p>“Makeela!” Zelda said, not letting go of Link. “Leave it alone. It’s fine. Let’s just drop this.”</p>
<p>Revali’s eyes locked on Zelda and Link’s hands, and he puffed out his chest, turning away.</p>
<p>Zelda adjusted her clammy grip and watched him go before glancing back at Link. “I’m so sorry.”</p>
<p>“Don’t be.” He tightened his hand.</p>
<p>Zelda took a breath. For the first time since she’d been at Daphnes Rhoam Hyrule High, everyone in the hallway turned to look at her and Link, judging her like she’d done something terribly wrong for standing beside the ‘wrong’ boy in the hallway.</p>
<p>She pulled Link with her to the empty stairwell, away from prying eyes, even Makeela’s. “Link, is this okay with you?” she asked, gesturing to the hall.</p>
<p>“What part? You being harassed by that fucking vulture? No.”</p>
<p>She made a face and held up their still-clasped hands. “This, Link,” she laughed, relieved she could still feel humor after all that.</p>
<p>“Oh," he snorted, feeling slightly stupid. "Yes. If you are.”</p>
<p>“I am.”</p>
<p>Link nodded and felt himself going red as they both headed for homeroom, trying to change the subject. “Want to be chemistry partners today, too?”</p>
<p>But that had Zelda laughing, playfully grabbing his arm and unable to let that one go. “Sure, Link, but I think we already are.”</p>
<p>“Gods,” he choked out, looking at her leaning against him. His heart had to stop for a moment as he took in her face, happy, like the earlier incident had been forgotten, or at least pushed aside.  “Yeah, we are.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The last class Zelda had that week was ASL with Link. Given that they were both more than proficient, they found themselves laughing at each other’s deliberate mistakes to keep their cover. Occasionally, Link would ‘mistake’ a word for an obscenity to see Mrs. Uli’s mortified reaction before correcting him. The entire experience was an inside joke between them. And when Mrs. Uli turned around, they would carefully sign to each other, careful to be quick and sloppy, lest they get caught.</p>
<p>That was Link’s favorite class to listen to music, she noticed. He’d stopped wearing his headphones in their Chemistry class, though it was perhaps because they were constantly talking, much to the annoyance of Revali. It had gotten to the point where Revali had deliberately caught the teacher’s attention just try to get them caught.</p>
<p>His annoyance with the entire situation was growing, especially as Link and Zelda became more public with their affections over the course of the week. They stood together, held hands, and had begun eating lunch together some days. Other days, Ruto and Darunia could still tolerate her presence.</p>
<p>Makeela was awkward around Link, fighting desperately for any thread of a conversation she could cling to with him. It left their conversations primarily centering around <em>Moonlight Howl</em>, which was currently their only commonality besides Zelda.</p>
<p>Ilia hadn’t been to school for the beginning of the week, but when she’d returned, she had mastered the art of small-talking Zelda. They hadn’t gotten to much more than that yet, though. But both she and Makeela were trying, and Link and Zelda appreciated that more than anything.</p>
<p>So when the bell finally rang, signiling not only the weekend, but the <em>long weekend</em> without school on Monday, Link hurried over to Zelda’s desk, sliding across several until he stopped in front of her. She laughed and hit his leg with her notebook. “You knocked over my pen.”</p>
<p>He looked around on the ground and spotted it. He hopped off the desk to grab it, and Zelda paused to allow herself an unobstructed, unabashed view as he bent down to grab it.</p>
<p>If he noticed, he didn’t say anything when he turned back around to place the pen directly into her hand, their skin unnecessarily brushing against one another.</p>
<p>“I have to bolt out of here for work, but I wanted to see if you were still good for Sunday?”</p>
<p>For <em>Moonlight Howl</em>.</p>
<p>“Yeah! And you can invite Pipit, you know?”</p>
<p>But Link shot her a mischievously flirty look. “I don’t know, Zel, I like being alone with you.”</p>
<p>“Shut up,” she laughed, unable to stop the red from creeping up her neck. “You’re selfishly depriving Pipit of a large television.”</p>
<p>Her words were all humor, and Link smiled in return, crooked, <em>self-assured</em>. For one moment, he’d managed to put his awkward bumbling around her aside. “It’s not selfish if you enjoy it too.”</p>
<p>Zelda nearly choked on her words, feeling her stomach flip and her heart flutter in the wildest ways. She nudged him off her desk so they could walk back to their lockers, trying to remain outwardly calm. “You’re awfully confident today, Link.”</p>
<p>“Working on it,” he muttered, back to his own blushing.</p>
<p>She grabbed his arm before walking to her locker. “It’s going well.”</p>
<p>“How well?”</p>
<p>She turned around to give him a look, but he kept his back to her as he dug through his locker. “Very. Why?”</p>
<p>He finally glanced behind him and she could see him struggling for words. “No reason.”</p>
<p>“Hrmm,” she mumbled, returning her attention to her own locker. “I need to find something to do later, and it’s getting too cold to just hang outside. Maybe I’ll take up knitting?”</p>
<p>“Why do you need to take up knitting <em>today</em>?” he asked, grabbing the books he’d need for the weekend from his locker and closing it to lean next to hers.</p>
<p>“Mom cancelled on me <em>again</em>. My parents are staying late to get more prep work done.”</p>
<p>“Did you give them your research report on that company?”</p>
<p>Zelda smiled at him. “I did. They liked it. They didn’t need it though.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” he whispered, taking her hand, tugging her lightly to walk with him to the door. He knew she was in no rush to grab her bag until after she'd seen Makeela. It was almost like a weekly ritual. “If you want, you can come eat with Aryll and I tonight. She’s making… something. We can just add another plate.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want to inconvenience her,” Zelda said, pushing through the next set of swinging doors.</p>
<p>“Please, she’s never inconvenienced. Text me if you want to come, okay? The offer is open.”</p>
<p>“Okay, I’ll let you know,” she said, letting go of him as he waved and took off to the parking lot. Zelda went back to her locker to grab her bag, met halfway by Makeela.</p>
<p>“You need to send me pictures. I’m going to print them and cut them into little hearts. Have you taken any with him?”</p>
<p>“Not in a while,” Zelda admitted, pointedly ignoring the heart comment.</p>
<p>Makeela had all her things, ready to go, but she kept up with Zelda walking further into the school before stopping at Zelda’s locker. “Are you two really official? Because you look it. And you act it.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know. We haven’t talked about it or anything. Do people even talk about it anymore?”</p>
<p>“Oh girl, do I look like I’m with anyone? I don’t know what people do.”</p>
<p>She pulled her backpack onto her shoulder and felt her phone vibrate. They both looked at the screen.</p>
<p>“Link?”</p>
<p>“Hey, I need to ask you a huge favor.”</p>
<p>“Go for it.”</p>
<p>“Can I have a ride to work? Someone messed with my tires. They’re flat.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, of course. I’m on my way out.” She hung up and rolled her eyes. “Revali. It had to be.”</p>
<p>Makeela kept pace, having heard the whole conversation. “Could have been Ravio too. They’ve been hanging out.”</p>
<p>Zelda pushed open the door to outside, seeing Link leaning on her car. She grabbed her keys. “Let me know if you hear anything, Makeela!”</p>
<p>“I will!”</p>
<p>And Zelda was in front of Link’s motorcycle, looking at the flat wheels pressed into the ground. “That asshole.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine. I’ll just see if Gabe can bring it to the shop.”</p>
<p>When they’d gotten into the car, Zelda glanced at Link. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“No, don’t be.”</p>
<p>“Want me to try to talk to him?”</p>
<p>Link scoffed. “Not on my account. If <em>you </em>want to thou—”</p>
<p>“No,” she said hastily, pulling out into the street. “I would love to never talk to him again.”</p>
<p>Link leaned his arm against the window. “He really fucked up, didn’t he?”</p>
<p>“He did,” she agreed. “He used something against me that I told him privately. The only other person who knows is Makeela. It’s… it’s about Rav.”</p>
<p>He could see that she didn’t want to go into it. He leaned comfortably against his knuckles as he watched her. “You know, I think that was the first time I ever heard you swear. Was it? I can’t remember now if I'd heard you before then.”</p>
<p>Zelda laughed. “I do know how, Link. I just don’t often. Maybe you’re rubbing off on me.”</p>
<p>Smirking, he turned to face the window again. “Interesting. I have some fucking influence.”</p>
<p>“Subliminal messaging won’t work on me, Link.”</p>
<p>He snorted <em>hard. </em>“What’s my subliminal message, Zelda? ‘Fucking?’”</p>
<p>“Yes!” And as the word really reached her ears, she realized it’s double meaning. “Oh Goddess Hylia! No! That’s not what I meant!”</p>
<p>Zelda had never been more thankful to be at a red light in all her life. She faceplanted the top of her steering wheel, determined not to look at Link as he cackled into his palm, attempting to remain composed, but failing miserably. And she kind of wanted to throw up in absolute self-embarrassment.</p>
<p>What made it worse was that after saying it, that thought was now the only thing banging around in her mind.</p>
<p>“I <em>meant</em>…” she choked out, “the adjective… not the verb.”</p>
<p>Link couldn’t look at her. It was a physical impossibility for him to even look in her direction at that moment. “I figured that’s what you meant.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” she muttered. “I’m going to put the radio on now so I don’t keep talking.”</p>
<p>And as much as she loved Link’s company, she was more than happy to kick him out of her car so she could either breathe or scream, she wasn’t sure which.</p>
<p>“Link!” she called when he stepped out of the car once they'd reached Gabe's garage.</p>
<p>He leaned through the window, finally able to look at her. “Yes?”</p>
<p>Zelda closed her eyes before opening them. “Are you sure your sister wouldn’t mind an intruder?”</p>
<p>Link bit his lip, trying to hold back an excited smile as he shook his head. “No. She wouldn’t mind.”</p>
<p>“Do you need a ride home? Or should I just show up at your house at some undetermined time?”</p>
<p>He tapped his fingers on the inside of the car. “Do you want me to text you, or you want to come inside for a little bit while I ask Gabe about my bike?”</p>
<p>Apparently, Zelda loved the feeling of internal mental torture as she shut off her car and went inside with him. She did <em>not</em> need to add a visual of Link working on something in the shop to her already preoccupied mind.</p>
<p>She stood in the doorway as Link hurried over to Gabe to explain his situation, and she caught Gabe looking over at her several times.</p>
<p><em>“Zelda. Good to see you again,” </em>Pipit signed as he moved in front of her.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hey. Are you feeling better? Link said you were sick.”</em>
</p>
<p>Pipit smirked, glancing briefly at Link. <em>“I am, thank you. What brings you around?”</em></p>
<p>Zelda hesitated. “<em>Has Link been telling you about anything… interesting at our school?”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“Oh, I hear quite a few things. Are you specifically talking about the bird-brain he said has been annoying you this week?”</em>
</p>
<p>Her hands froze as she realized something. Link talked about her to his best friend. And sure, she figured she might have come up, much like how Link comes up in her conversations with Makeela, she felt her chest tighten at the thought that maybe some of Link’s conversations with Pipit about her were as <em>interesting</em> as the ones she had with Makeela about Link. Because otherwise, a former friend gossiping about her wasn’t exactly news you randomly tell someone who isn’t invested in either party.</p>
<p>She nodded before turning to Link. He was leaning against the frame of a car, toying with a spare part in his hand.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Well, that guy did something to Link’s tires, so I gave him a ride today.”</em>
</p>
<p>Link walked back over to them, still fiddling with the metal thing in his hand, which he put into his back pocket so he could sign. <em>“Sorry to interrupt.” </em>He turned to Zelda. “What time do you want to eat?” He knew she usually ate around six, and he often ate closer to seven. With half his attention on Pipit, his hands moved almost of their own accord. <em>“I asked her to eat at my house tonight,” </em>he said, quickly explaining.</p>
<p>“<em>You two are going on a date to Link’s? You should go to The Cucco’s Nest</em>.”</p>
<p>Date.</p>
<p>Both Link and Zelda looked at each other. “Is this…?” she asked, hesitating. She didn’t want to make things weird if he wasn’t on the same page.</p>
<p>But Link cleared his throat and pulled at the hair on his neck, completely forgetting to translate for Pipit. “Um, my sister will be there, so…”</p>
<p>“Right,” she muttered, admittedly disappointed.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He was breathing heavily, nerves around her kicking into overdrive. Gone was the confident flirt, and the boy with the crush took over. And he did <em>everything </em>he mentally could to have his mind meet somewhere in the middle. His lips moved several times without sound coming out until his words finally caught up. “But… we have a long weekend. Would you want to go on a real date with me? The Cucco’s Nest, maybe?” he laughed, blushing. “Or somewhere else. Or not at all. You know, Pipit said it but if—”</p>
<p>“Link!” Zelda interrupted, laughing as well. “Stop! Yes! I would like that.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” he asked, like he wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly.</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>And she smiled. And gods, Link couldn’t help but return it, relieved and—dare he think it—happy.</p>
<p>“Okay. Good. Yeah. I’ll… umm… I can pick you up? You’ve been wanting to see me drive a car, and I’ve got my sister’s.”</p>
<p>“I can drive us so you don’t need to borrow her car.”</p>
<p>But he shook his head. “I’m going to take you up on that ride home today, so let me drive tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“Tomorrow? Is that when our date is?”</p>
<p>He fucking hated himself as he turned red <em>again. </em>“I didn’t mean… it doesn’t have to be. Are we… still hanging out on Sunday?”</p>
<p>And with that, Zelda realized just how often she could potentially see Link this weekend. She didn’t want to push him to be with her every day… but she also <em>wanted</em> to be with him. And that was too difficult for her to decide on her own internally.</p>
<p>“Maybe… maybe we can just figure that out tonight? Figure out tomorrow or Sunday, I mean.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. We can do that,” he said.</p>
<p>He felt a sharp hit on his arm. “<em>What’s happening?” </em>Pipit asked, having been left out suddenly from the conversation.</p>
<p>
  <em>“We’re planning a date. Thanks.”</em>
</p>
<p>Zelda suddenly remembered Pipit, and chastised herself, fumbling to sign correctly as her heartbeat so hard her hands shook. “What time am I picking you up from work?” she asked, not sure if her hands were making the right words but trying to keep up anyway.</p>
<p>Pipit got their attention. <em>“He’s leaving at 5:30pm. I’m taking the rest of his shift as a thank you for covering for me when I was sick.”</em></p>
<p>Link smirked, an almost unnoticeable ‘thank you’ passing from Link to Pipit.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Zelda said, looking at the clock. “I’ll be back then. And we can finish all the details.”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” she laughed, waving as she headed back to her car.</p>
<p>And when she was gone, Link ran his hands across his face and through his hair, clapping Pipit on the back excitedly.</p>
<p>Gabe was leaning on the car he’d been working on, his arms crossed and watching. But he lowered his arms to sign as he spoke so Pipit wasn’t left out. “Does this mean you’re going to talk about her <em>more</em> or <em>less</em>?”</p>
<p>Link pulled the gadget from his back pocket and tossed it lightly at Gabe. “Shut up.”</p>
<p>And letting out a deep breath, he shook his head, suddenly riddled with nerves. He was going on a date with Zelda. With <em>Zelda. Zelda</em> wanted to go on a date with <em>him. </em></p>
<p>How long had it been since he’d gone on a date with someone he actually wanted to be with? He’d been a delinquent last time. And since then, he hadn’t found anyone he wanted to be with. Until Zelda.</p>
<p>And that raised the stakes to a level that had him nearly in a full-fledged panic. Because if he screwed it up, he’d not only lose any chance with her, he’s lose a damn good friend too.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Makeela!” Zelda whined into her computer where Makeela stared into the camera. “Please pick one!”</p><p>“Fine! Blue! Tell him it matches his eyes and that’s why you picked it!”</p><p>Zelda’s hand hovered over the blue shirt, but at that comment, she decided to go with her black one instead, tugging it over her head.</p><p>She and Link had decided to make use of their long weekend, most of it which would have been spent at home respectively alone anyway. Zelda had dinner with Aryll and Link the night before, and she was still impressed by the many embarrassing stories Aryll could tell about Link, though her favorite was the time she’d convinced him that Lizalfos Licks were really the severed tongues of a mystical animal, and Link had stayed away from them for years, unable to know if she’d been lying or not.</p><p>“Oh, you’re a spoil sport,” Makeela hissed when she saw what Zelda had chosen. “Tell him the black is for your unkind soul towards me!”</p><p>Zelda rolled her eyes and pulled her hair up. “Up or down?”</p><p>“Down. Let him run his hands through it!”</p><p>Zelda snorted and leaned close to the camera. “We’re going to a public park trail.”</p><p>But Makeela’s eyes widened playfully. “Oh gods, have him throw you into a pile of leaves and drag him down with you!”</p><p>“Makeela…”</p><p>“And then he’ll take off that black shirt of yours and be like ‘Hey babe, wish you’d worn blue, like my eyes.’ And you’ll be like, ‘Well, if it’s off what’s it matter?’ Because I know you and you’d actually say that and be totally serious.”</p><p>With a judgmental stare, Zelda shook her head. “Okay. <em>Public park</em>. <em>First date</em>. What part are you missing? I’m nervous enough. How about distracting me with something that’s not related to my date?”</p><p>Makeela hit her keyboard in excitement. “Okay! What would you do if he were a robot, like in that episode of <em>Gone Gadget</em>? But like, hear me out! Not one of those freaky things, but the ones who look just like humans.”</p><p>“Androids?” Zelda laughed, grabbing a necklace.</p><p>“Yes! What would you do if he was one of those?”</p><p>“Go on a date with him, I guess,” Zelda said simply. “You’re not doing a good job distracting me.”</p><p>“What if he was a fish?”</p><p>“Gods, Makeela. Please go on a date, even a bogus one, just so I can harass you with stupid questions like this too.”</p><p>“Nope! Happily staying single, if not for just for my sake, but for yours so you can’t bother me. I just don’t get what you’re so nervous about. It’s not like this is your first date ever. Besides, it’s Link. You practically love him. It should be comfortable. Just be yourself. Do what you normally do. It’ll be natural and, listen to me here, it will be <em>fine</em>.”</p><p>Zelda scoffed. “First off, I don’t love him, so calm yourself. Second, I don’t know what I’m doing! Rav wasn’t my friend beforehand. He was just some guy. What if Link and I discover that we weren’t meant to date?”</p><p>“You were, but okay, I’ll humor you. You’d probably be good friends if it doesn’t work out. You already are. But if that’s what you’re afraid of, you’ve always have me!”</p><p>Chuckling, Zelda used the mirror next to her computer to do her makeup. “It’s true. And I actually do love you, so we’re all covered.” Zelda paused, looking over at the clock before back to the screen. “So, what are you going to get me for my birthday?”</p><p>Makeela made a noise, not excited, but not horrible upset. “I still have a few weeks. And I wouldn’t tell you anyway.”</p><p>“Get me the new <em>Moonlight Howl</em> graphic novel?”</p><p>“What if I don’t want to?”</p><p>“I’ll cry.”</p><p>“Good!”</p><p>They both laughed, and Zelda sat back, admiring herself. It was casual, but with more effort than her normal days at school or rehearsal. She slipped on her sneakers and sat back.</p>
<hr/><p>Link paced from his room to the bathroom for the fourth time before Aryll finally came out of her room to watch him.</p><p>“Please pick a room to get ready in.”</p><p>He turned to her and made a face, toothbrush in his mouth as he fixed his wet hair with his other hand. “What?” he said, though the toothpaste looked like he was rabidly foaming at the mouth when he spoke. He went back to the bathroom.</p><p>“You’re not wearing that, right?” she said, glancing at him in his graphic tee.</p><p>“Why?” he asked after spitting into the sink.</p><p>“You look like you’re going to school, not on a date. Get back in your room and take that stupid shirt off.”</p><p>She pushed past him and went into his drawer, rifling through his things.</p><p>“Hey! That’s my shit! Don’t make a mess.”</p><p>“Your room is already a mess; you won’t even notice.”</p><p>“No it’s no—”</p><p>“Wear this instead!” She tossed him a nicer shirt without any logos on it.  “Want a tie?” She held one up.</p><p>He pushed her hand away, but took the new shirt, switching out of his old one. He held out his hands. “Better?”</p><p>“Yes,” Aryll said, nodding. But she made a face as she squinted at him. “Your lips are fucking chapped, man. What did you do? Run through a desert? Didn’t you <em>just </em>take a shower?” She disappeared, but she returned a moment later with chapstick and grabbed Link’s head to keep him from pulling away. “Put this on.”</p><p>“Get the fuck off,” he muttered, pushing her arms away, but he was too late. “Is that shit strawberry?”</p><p>“Don’t be a brat, Link. Put the chapstick on. You look like a troll.”</p><p>“I fucking <em>hate</em> strawberries. Get away from me!”</p><p>She shoved him out of her way and returned to his room a moment later, flashing a generic non-flavored chapstick before nearly assaulting him with it again. He made a face but didn’t fight her nearly as hard, sucking up the losing fight with as much dignity as he could muster under her triumphant gaze.</p><p>“Take it with you,” she said, shoving it into his pocket. He rolled his eyes, but she blocked the way out of his room. “You haven’t tried to impress a girl in years. It’s showing.”</p><p>“Shut up.”</p><p>“Mhmm,” she muttered, letting him pass.</p><p>He grabbed his pack of gum off the table, popping a piece into his mouth before going to put the rest in his pocket, but she stopped him again. “Take the other one. Just tonight.”</p><p>Sighing, he nodded and switched his pack of gum out before grabbing her keys off the small couch. “Am I good to go?”</p><p>“You have my approval.”</p><p>He smirked, patting the doorframe as he turned back around. “Thank you, Aryll.”</p><p>“Colin is picking me up in about an hour, so if you need help before then, send me a discrete text.”</p><p>“Gods,” he laughed, closing the door behind him.</p>
<hr/><p>Zelda hurried out the door, locking it behind her</p><p>She was glad Link had parked in her driveway, because seeing him driving a car was the most unfamiliar feeling. And she didn’t know what Aryll’s car looked like.</p><p>His arm was hanging out the open window, and he was distracted by something on his other side and didn’t see her approach.</p><p>She leaned next to his arm, poking her head into his window and causing him to jump back in surprise. And when he turned to her, their lips were a small breadth away from each other. Link had nowhere to go, and he couldn’t really say he <em>wanted </em>to pull away from her, but she did, giving them both some space. Link’s eyes darted to her lips before he managed to steady them on her eyes.</p><p>“I just wanted to make sure it was you. I’ve never seen you drive a car.”</p><p>“I would kind of love to see some old woman’s reaction if you shoved your head into her car by accident.”</p><p>She snorted and popped around to the other side of the car. “Honestly, I’d kind of love to see that too.”</p><p>Zelda pulled her seatbelt on and then glanced at Link, where he was unabashedly looking her over, which honestly made her feel less awkward to oogle him herself. He looked sharp. He smelled fresh, his damp hair was nearly dried, his clothes were more formal than what he normally wore, but not so much so that she felt underdressed.</p><p>“I like your shirt,” Zelda said, reaching over to feel the sleeve for no <em>real</em> reason that she could justify.</p><p>He mentally thanked Aryll, or cursed her for simply being right, he wasn’t sure which.</p><p>“I like your… everything.” He shook his head and let out a deep sigh at how stupid that was. “Okay, time to go.”</p><p>Zelda grinned, loving how easily he got flustered around her. She wasn’t much better, but she felt pretty confident that she’d managed to keep most of her reactions to him internalized. Like when he put his hand on the back of her headrest to back the car up, his muscles tightened and left her without a doubt that he exercised when he was bored, as he’d told her in the past. And she was pretty certain that she’d done well to keep her gaze out the window at red lights when she felt his attention turn to her for an extended period of time when he thought she wasn’t looking.</p><p>Or when he parked the car and walked around to meet her on her side, taking her hand in his as they started to walk, she’d been pretty sure that she kept most of her excitement from overflowing.</p><p>They both felt awkward at first. There was something different about doing the same thing they normally did… but with a new meaning behind it. Their conversation was strained, small talk that they normally never needed to engage in.</p><p>It had gotten to a point where Zelda had to actually address it.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” she said when they took a path that led around a small pond. “It’s been a while since I’ve done this.”</p><p>“You?” he scoffed. “I haven’t been on a date with a girl I actually liked since… I was fourteen, maybe?” He only didn’t feel awkward admitting it because he’d already mentioned it to Zelda in the past.</p><p>“You said you went on dates with Ilia’s friends.”</p><p>He shrugged. “I said ‘with a girl I actually liked.’ Those dates were… not quite this.”</p><p>Though Zelda could control most of her reactions, she just gave up on trying to stop herself from blushing.</p><p>“My first date with Ravio was horrible. Gods, he took me out with his friends on a double date and he barely paid attention to me. I don’t even think he held my hand. And then he kissed me and it was just out of nowhere.”</p><p>“But if he’d held your hand?” Link asked, raising their joined ones between them.</p><p>Zelda smiled coyly. “Do you kiss on the first date, Link?”</p><p>He visibly swallowed, but that was the only hint of nervousness he displayed. The rest of him oozed confidence in that strange way that Link shifted between knowing what he was doing, and bumbling like a child.</p><p> “You’ll find out one way or the other before the day is done, won’t you?”</p><p>Zelda bit her lip and nodded, needing to move her attention off of him. “Okay,” she laughed.</p><p>Link pulled her to a stop and pulled his hand free of hers, instead, pulling her closer to him by her hips.</p><p>Her mouth dropped open a bit, smirking.</p><p>“Do <em>you</em>, Zelda?”</p><p>His breath was hot against her and she lost her train of thought as he moved closer.</p><p>“It depends on the guy. Like… no to Ravio, but… yes to… others.”</p><p>He nodded, their lips nearly touching. “Okay.”</p><p>And he pulled away.</p><p>Zelda was left heaving for air from his near kiss, her eyes wide. “You’re a tease!” she balked, laughing at his hardly innocent expression.</p><p>He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked backwards so he could face her. His eyes sparkled with humor. “Only with you, Zel.”</p><p>She shook her head and hurried after him. In her momentum, she practically threw herself onto him, and while he caught her, they both went down knees first into the grass, laughing. It was a combination of pent up energy and embarrassment, but neither could stop.</p><p>Zelda, however, was feeling a little braver than earlier, partially thanks to Link’s actions. As he went to get up, she stopped him, scooting so she was just beside him. And she wrapped her hand around his neck.</p><p>His breathing sped up, though he held still, waiting for her to do something, trying desperately not to move without knowing for sure what she was doing. He’d just goaded her with a false kiss, after all.</p><p>But he couldn’t stop his hand from sneaking back to her waist, steadying her as she shuffled even closer. Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips, and Link started to die a little inside. His eyes were stuck there, on the receiving end of what he’d just done to her.</p><p>She could feel his chest heaving, endlessly bringing them both up and down as she rested her other arm against him, letting it trace the skin on the side of his neck.</p><p>“Are you going to do that to me again?” she asked, moving closer.</p><p>He tried to laugh, but it was a choked noise. “Probably.”</p><p>She shook her head, also unable to laugh without it sounding a bit strangled. “Then for your honesty.”</p><p>She crossed the rest of the distance between them. Their first kiss was fast, enough to break the ice, barely long enough to even count. But once the ice cracked, they both fell in.</p><p>They crashed into each other at once, starved for the thing they’d both been desiring almost since they’d met. It felt like an impossibility, but they both fought to bring the other <em>closer</em>, though there was no room left between them.</p><p>She could feel Link’s hand on her waist, half on fabric, and half his hand on exposed skin where her shirt rode up slightly. She made a noise into him when his fingers twitched, as if reminding her they were there, and Link drowned in her.</p><p>He felt himself falling, figuratively and literally, as he landed back on his elbows. Zelda’s lips chased his, and his hand flew up to the back of her neck, urging her towards him, and their lips met again. And again.</p><p>For Link, it was like every shred of the pent up anxiety he’d been hoarding inside burst out into the most confident act he’d ever done. He trusted himself, and he trusted Zelda. And it had been a long time since that combination had existed inside him.</p><p>For Zelda, she felt the years of loneliness slip from her mind, feeling for once, and with only one other person beside her, that she wasn’t utterly alone. And she felt strongly enough to believe that he wasn’t going to pull away anymore, and neither was she.</p><p>Save for a few poorly aimed nose-bumps and awkward giggles, they stayed like that in the grass for some time.</p><p>“Ugh!” a voice said, causing them to finally break apart. An older woman with a young child was walking by. “There are children here!”</p><p>Though both were entirely breathless, Link’s wide eyes turned to Zelda, the first to break the spell. “Shit, we’re in public.”</p><p>She ran a hand through her tousled hair. “Oh gods, that’s embarrassing.”</p><p>“Sorry,” Link said to the woman, helping push Zelda off of him. “First kiss.” He turned to Zelda and winked, and gods, she turned <em>red</em>.</p><p>The woman was not amused.</p><p>“I don’t care if it was your dying kiss. My grandson does not need to see that.”</p><p>“Sorry,” they both said again, standing on their feet as the woman walked by with a huff, pulling the young boy along.</p><p>Zelda covered her wide mouth with her hand, trying to stifle a laugh. “Oh gods! That was… we’re in a very public place!”</p><p>“All those weeks of hanging out in secret might have fucked with our heads,” he laughed, pushing back his own hair, though he could almost imagine Zelda’s fingers instead.</p><p>Zelda grabbed Link’s hand and pulled him with her. “Think we can make it to the food truck without getting in trouble?”</p><p>But Link shimmied his hand out of hers and wrapped it over her shoulder instead, pulling her into him and feeling her hand around his waist. He leaned closer and let his nose brush her jaw before planting a soft kiss to her cheek.</p><p>“Nope.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“How many people?” Ramus Harkinian asked his daughter the next morning after she made her case.</p>
<p>“Just… four.”</p>
<p>Arina Harkinian tapped her fingers on the counter. “And how many are boys?”</p>
<p>“Just… two.” Zelda cleared her throat, struggling under the gaze of her parents. It was almost like they could see that she’d been kissed, like there was a giant mark on her face screaming that she should be interrogated about having people stay overnight. This kind of questioning hadn’t happened in years.</p>
<p>“Will Makeela be here?”</p>
<p>“Yes. She’s coming early.”</p>
<p>Her father spun his cellphone around absently. “Who else?”</p>
<p>“You don’t know them. Makeela can vouch for them though, if you don’t trust me.” A low shot, but Zelda wasn’t in the mood. Not after they hadn’t come home until the middle of the night and were leaving again in a few hours.</p>
<p>“I just meant their names,” he muttered, though he could feel her annoyance with them radiating off of her.</p>
<p>Zelda wanted freedom, like anyone else. She wanted to go to school, have friends, and be able to go out. But she also enjoyed being with her parents. The summers they used to spend by the pool, laughing with virgin cocktails as they lazily floated in unicorn-shaped pool floats were some of her fondest memories. They didn’t have to bring her anywhere, or buy her a car. She really just wanted a day when they didn’t talk about—or go to—work.</p>
<p>And she understood that they loved their jobs. She understood that they were both heads of their own divisions within the company, high up and climbing higher. She wouldn’t have been surprised if, one day, they both ended up in a heated power struggle to reach CEO first. It already seemed like they were on that steep climb.</p>
<p>“Makeela, Link, Ilia, and Pipit.”</p>
<p>Her mother grabbed her phone, checking a text as she spoke. “No Revali or Ruto?”</p>
<p>Zelda’s lips tightened. “Nope. I’m not really talking to Revali, and Ruto hangs with him. So no.”</p>
<p>“Oh darling,” Arina cooed, “I’m sorry you’re fighting. Things will get better if you two just sit and talk it out.”</p>
<p>“No thank you.”</p>
<p>“What happened?”</p>
<p>Groaning, Zelda leaned her head down on the table, looking at her parents. “So, they can all stay over, right?”</p>
<p>“Yes, that’s fine. I think we want to meet them when they arrive though.”</p>
<p>“Will you actually be here?” she muttered.</p>
<p>“Zelda,” her father tried, but his phone started to ring. Though he muted it, his eyes kept darting to the screen. “We should be if they’re coming over at seven.”</p>
<p>Zelda grabbed her things off the table and nodded, seeing how both of them were itching to grab their phones. “Okay. I’m going to go let them know they can stay over and get some things ready.”</p>
<p>And finally, when Zelda laid on her bed, she wondered what the hell she’d been thinking.</p>
<p>She and Link had sat on a bench, talking about what they were going to do about <em>Moonlight Howl</em>. And then Pipit got brought back into the conversation. And then Makeela. And then Zelda had asked if Ilia watched it. And somehow, all of that turned into: you should all come over to watch. It’ll be fun with a group. And <em>that</em> turned into Link texting Pipit and then it all spiraled out of control from there. What had once been a date was now a watch party. But it had also led to a promise of another date towards the end of the week when Link’s shift ended early. A date that was more… private.</p>
<p><em>“Warning,” </em>Zelda sent to Link. <em>“My parents want to meet everyone.”</em></p>
<p>His reply came quickly. <em>“Do they know we went on a date? Or are we just friends?”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“Just friends. They’re going to leave for work about an hour in, so it shouldn’t be too painful.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Sounds fun” </em>
</p>
<p>She scoffed and flopped on her bed, doing homework for a while. Every now and then, she could hear her parents arguing either with each other or with some unknown voice on the other end of the line. She peaked over the balcony and saw her mother flailing a clipboard around as she reamed someone out.</p>
<p>It was a relief when Makeela arrived.</p>
<p>She greeted Zelda’s parents and headed upstairs, quick to leave them to their phone calls.</p>
<p>Tossing her backpack with a change of clothes in it off to the side, Makeela threw herself onto the bed. “Tell me everything before he gets here!”</p>
<p>And though she’d done so last night, she excitedly retold the events of the night, showing Makeela all the random pictures they’d taken through the date. Most of them were of scenery or Link, since it was her phone, but she’d snuck her way into a few of them.</p>
<p>After spending the day together before everyone’s arrival, Makeela and Zelda headed to watch mindless television until Zelda got Link’s text.</p>
<p>She stood up and stretched before making her way to her parents in the kitchen. “They’re here. Just remember, the red head, Pipit, is deaf, so don’t have a full-blown conversation with him while you’re looking at your phone or anything.”</p>
<p>And when the doorbell rang, Makeela answered, leading everyone inside.</p>
<p>Pipit and Ilia were awestruck, staring at the entire home in absolute wonderment. Link looked around, trying to feign the same experience, despite having been in the house several times. It had Zelda giggling as she bounded up to greet them.</p>
<p><em>“Thank you for inviting us to watch tonight,” </em>Pipit signed, his eyes darting to the massive television.</p>
<p>“<em>Of course! Makeela and I have had the subtitles on for hours so we wouldn’t forget.” </em></p>
<p>Pipit smiled. “<em>I appreciate it. Thank you.”</em></p>
<p>Finally, Zelda turned to her parents, gesturing to each one. “This is Link, Ilia, and Pipit.”</p>
<p>Ilia was the one who took a step forward first, grasping Arina’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you both. Your home is beautiful.”</p>
<p>As she spoke, Link shot Zelda an anxious look. She just bit her lip and watched him follow Ilia’s lead. There was something about the way Ilia glanced back at Link too that had Zelda suspicious. Like Ilia was guiding him more than just genuinely introducing herself.</p>
<p>Makeela made an anxious noise as they awkwardly watched Ilia and Link shaking her parents’ hands. They couldn’t hear what Link was saying, and soon, he and Ilia swapped before Pipit did the same.</p>
<p>Zelda mentally cursed because she really wanted to know what he’d said to her father. She’d have to remember to ask later.</p>
<p>Link finally walked in her direction and flashed her a relieved look before standing beside her with his hands firmly in his pockets, leaving a large gap between him and Zelda for good measure.</p>
<p>“Zelda, darling,” Arina said, nodding her approval over Zelda’s polite new friends, “I’ve left you the card so you can order some food.”</p>
<p>“Thanks mom,” Zelda muttered, watching them go into their respective studies before turning back around. “They’re leaving in about an hour.” Her hands moved with her for Pipit’s sake, though she had the feeling Link was ready to jump in if he needed to translate.</p>
<p>When they were gone, Zelda pushed Makeela forward, gesturing to Pipit. “This is Link’s friend, Pipit. Pip, this is my best friend, Makeela. Sorry, my parents think you all know each other.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“No problem. Can you tell her it’s nice to meet her?”</em>
</p>
<p>Zelda did, and Makeela awkwardly smiled and nodded a vague gesture that meant ‘you too’, not knowing a single word in sign language. </p>
<p>“Gods, Zelda,” Ilia said, looking around again in wonder. “This place is really gorgeous. What do your parents do?”</p>
<p>As she spoke, Link translated. Zelda remembered Link had mentioned that Ilia knew some sign language, but not enough for it to come naturally. For Link, it was almost like he didn’t even realize he was doing it, that’s how naturally it came.</p>
<p>“Advertising. They’re high ups, so they’re at work a lot.” She noticed Ilia’s bag, and then finally everyone’s. “Oh, you can put your stuff down anywhere.”</p>
<p>Link looked at Makeela and then Zelda. “<em>Does she know that we kissed?”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“Obviously. Do they?”</em>
</p>
<p>Link nodded and moved closer to Zelda before shrugging off his backpack. “Are your parents going to pop out?”</p>
<p>“They probably won’t leave their rooms until they leave the house.”</p>
<p>Pressing a quick kiss to Zelda’s lips, Link grinned. “Hi.”</p>
<p>“No!” Makeela wailed when she noticed how close they were, and the rampant blush over both of them. “We missed it!”</p>
<p>Ilia made a noise of protest as well and crossed her arms while Pipit watched expectantly.</p>
<p>“Voyeurs?” Link laughed.</p>
<p>“Oh, they totally are,” Zelda agreed, patting his arm and moving away from him to give them the tour.</p>
<p>When they were back to the kitchen after seeing the rest of the place, Zelda pulled out her phone as everyone agreed to keep it simple and order from Subrosian Pizza. She slid the phone to Ilia as everyone hovered around the island.</p>
<p>It was chaos in the kitchen</p>
<p>She and Link had their arms pressed against each other but were determined not to overwhelm anyone with any overt show of affection, especially not after the park.</p>
<p>Makeela was in front of Pipit waving her arms around in faux sign language as she attempted to ask “how do you talk to people”. Thankfully, Pipit understood and went to his bag before returning with a mini whiteboard.</p>
<p>“<em>Like this</em>,” he wrote. “<em>Or my phone</em>.” Then he slid the board to her.</p>
<p>“<em>OMG</em>,” she scrawled excitedly. “<em>I love whiteboards</em>.”</p>
<p>Zelda and Link cringed, but Pipit laughed, wiping the words away with his palm. “<em>Their novelty wears off after a while.”</em></p>
<p>It was a while before Ilia, Makeela, and Pipit migrated to the couch, chatting happily. Makeela had taken almost total control of Pipit’s whiteboard, and from what Zelda could see, she was controlling a losing game of hangman.  Link and Zelda stood in the corner of the kitchen, watching, finally taking a moment away from everyone’s prying eyes.</p>
<p>“Makeela seems to be having too much fun,” Zelda laughed.</p>
<p>Link snorted. “So is Pipit. Ilia’s not usually into big groups so she’s a little quiet, but I’m pretty sure she’s not miserable.”</p>
<p>“What an endorsement,” Zelda chuckled, leaning into him.</p>
<p>He wrapped his arm around her and she went for a kiss, but hastily pulled away from Link, all but throwing herself onto the counter when she heard a door.</p>
<p>“Zelda, we’re leaving!” her mother called, coming into the room and grabbing her coat.</p>
<p>Her father was right behind, grabbing his own keys. “It was nice to meet you all!”</p>
<p>When the door closed, Zelda relaxed again, turning to Link. “Close.”</p>
<p>“Scale of one to ten, how bad are they going to react?”</p>
<p>Zelda made a face. “I don’t even know. But I’m not ready for the inquisition.”</p>
<p>Link wrapped his arm around her, moving her in front of him so he could rest his chin on her shoulder. “Aryll was gods awful last night. I was dying a little.”</p>
<p>“Tell me everything,” she laughed.</p>
<p>Link shook his head, his chin brushing her skin and sending a chill through them both. “Abso-fucking-lutely not.”</p>
<p>“Give me a hint. I want to know how bad!”</p>
<p>He tightened his grip and let his lips leave a scalding hot trail up her neck, chuckling in her ear, his breath tickling it.  </p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>They all sat together on the couch, pizza in hand and mouths wide as Castor Wolf left Amalia. A lone wolf, he’d said, never learns to travel in a pack.</p>
<p>Zelda and Link’s pizza had been long since forgotten on the floor, and for once, she’d been unable to move, clinging to Makeela’s arm as she tried to stop herself from crying. And Link was no better, leaning forward so far with his hands covering his mouth. Pipit had his face half buried in the crook of his arm, and Ilia was a statue of unreadable energy.</p>
<p>The credits ran, and it was silent between them.</p>
<p>The mid-season finale. A month-long break. Pain and torture at an unforeseeable level.</p>
<p>“That can’t have been the end of the episode,” Zelda finally whispered.</p>
<p>But it had been, and every one of them hovered around their phones, watching videos of people wailing at bars, hitting tables, and all-around mayhem ensuing.</p>
<p>It had been all-around draining, but they sat together, discussing their theories and ideas for how the situation would resolve. <em>How </em>could Castor return to the pack after his brother’s death had torn him to pieces?</p>
<p>It left them all in a pile on the floor, having mostly thrown pillows and blankets and cushions around in some sort of strange makeshift nest, and slowly, one by one, they all drifted to sleep.</p>
<p>Zelda woke up in the middle of the night with her back pressed against Link’s chest, his arms around her, her phone limp in his hand from when they’d been looking at it. His breath wasn’t quite a snore, but it was heavy in her ear.</p>
<p>Makeela, Ilia, and Pipit were all circled right in front of them, a video still playing on someone’s phone as it went through a queue. Makeela’s hair was sprawled out practically in Zelda’s mouth. She pulled away and tried to avoid choking, though she did silently cough a few times, as it brushed her tongue, opting to—oh so unfortunately—move closer to Link. His breath sputtered, taking a sharp breath.</p>
<p>“Zelda?” he whispered, so low she could barely hear him.</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Mmm,” he hummed, readjusting himself. His arm tightened around her, pulling her in as it did. “This okay?”</p>
<p>She comfortably leaned against his chest this time, her eyes already closing again. “Mhmm.”</p>
<p>They both made a few more sounds of agreement before they were silent again for the rest of the night, left only with the noise of someone’s phone in the center of the room singing an advertisement that no one was awake to skip, asleep together like it was the most natural thing in the world.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay! I barely got this chapter done because I started work today. I didn’t end up doing half of what I wanted to, so I decided to halt the daily updates for right now. The fic is not going on a break, but I’m not going to promise daily updates for the rest of this week and possibly some of next week too while I readjust to my work schedule and lose countless more hours of my life trying to figure out why I can’t grasp the concept of Zoom (though I FINALLY figured out how to add a blurred background). Once I get used to my new schedule, daily updates will definitely start back up again though!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pipit took Link’s shift Tuesday as well, the final day of his ‘thank you’ to Link. So, to make the most of it, Link invited Zelda over to his house before they both had to go to her rehearsal later that night. It was one of the final days of set construction, and Link had to admit he had mixed feelings about it.</p><p>On one hand, he really enjoyed seeing Zelda, even if it was mostly just watching her rehearse or talk to other people who were in the show. Though he wasn’t sure who she’d talk to <em>now</em> if not Ruto, Darunia, Sidon, and Revali.</p><p>Revali. The other hand. The reason he would be so excited to leave. He would no longer need to spend any extra part of his day watching that prick, and he especially wouldn’t have to watch the scenes where he and Zelda had to kiss.</p><p>And as much as he liked seeing Zelda, he had to admit he didn’t hate that he’d be getting to sleep a bit earlier.</p><p>Zelda followed Link home after school on Tuesday and he directed her where to park on the crowded street and grabbed her hand as they walked back to the house. Aryll’s car was on the street, so they weren’t surprised to see her sitting on the couch with a textbook and a pair of glasses halfway down her nose.</p><p>“Hi Zelda,” she said cheerfully, though her attention was divided. “You eating with us tonight?”</p><p>“If it’s not too much trouble.”</p><p>“It’s Link’s turn to cook, so if he invited you, it’s not too much trouble.”</p><p>Zelda crossed her arms and grinned at Link. “And you didn’t even tell me?”</p><p>“He’s good at conveniently leaving things out just to make himself look worse,” Aryll chimed in.</p><p>Zelda looked over at her, feeling comfortable enough at their house now that she just sat down on the opposite side of the couch, getting comfy. “I didn’t know you had glasses.”</p><p>Aryll looked up again and took them off, looking them over. “They’re those cheap ones that just magnify the words. Link has some too that he uses.”</p><p>Zelda’s mouth dropped. “Show me your glasses, Link!”</p><p>Link scoffed, though he smiled at her while he went around them to toss his bag into his room. “I’m going to change. Do you want a sweatshirt or something?” he asked, looking her over.</p><p>She was stuck in her uniform without a change of clothes. And admittedly, it was a bit chilly. “Sure.”</p><p>“You can borrow a pair of my sweatpants,” Aryll said. But she made a face. “Actually, you’re too tall. Never mind.”</p><p>“It’s okay. I’m in leggings under my skirt. I’m cheating a bit until Mrs. Joy notices and calls me out on it.” Zelda’s eyes wandered to Aryll’s other textbook on the table, and she reached for it. “Is this a fun class? Child behavior?” But Zelda put the book down and reached for something else, losing her train of thought.</p><p>Aryll looked over and took off her glasses. “Judging from your face right now, I’m guessing he didn’t tell you he was quitting?”</p><p>Zelda was holding a pack of gum. “No, he didn't. What made him want to stop smoking?”</p><p>“Probably you, to be honest.”</p><p>Zelda’s mouth fell open. “I… I never asked him to.”</p><p>“Yeah. That’s probably why he did it <em>now</em>. You didn’t pressure him into it. He didn’t tell me either until I found some patches in his room. Hang on,” she said, grabbing a thick eraser and hucking it at the door behind her, creaking it open a bit. “Hey! Link!”</p><p>“What?” he asked, pulling his arms through his own sweatshirt and coming out to hand Zelda one.</p><p>“You didn’t even tell your girlfriend you’re trying to quit smoking?”</p><p>Zelda leaned forward on her arm and flashed the pack of gum in her hand. “Sorry. I just found it here.”</p><p>Link swallowed and gestured to his door, urging Zelda inside. She followed him and wasted no time getting comfortable on his bed as she pulled her arms into her/his sweatshirt. “I really wasn’t snooping on you.”</p><p>“No, I know,” he said, joining her after pacing for a moment. “I was going to tell people after I knew I was definitely going to stick with it.”</p><p>“Is it what <em>you </em>want to do? You want to quit?”</p><p>“Yeah, I do. I mean… yes. I do. It’s just hard because I don’t <em>hate</em> smoking. But I know Aryll does, and I know how bad it can be. And I’m young, so I really shouldn’t be. It’s just, I don’t know… I don’t hate it, which makes it a little harder. But like… I want to be healthy for the people I care about.” He paused and shook his head, not wanting to be <em>too</em> much. “Like Aryll.”</p><p>“Well, whether you decide to stick with it or not, I’m proud of you for trying, if it’s what you want to do.”</p><p>He smirked, lolling his head in her direction. “Yeah. Thanks.”</p><p>Zelda watched him fiddle with his fingernail. “She said you have a patch?”</p><p>“Yep. It’s on my arm now. I splurged.”</p><p>Zelda reached out to stop his fidgeting, taking his hand in hers and scooting closer. “It’s making a little sense now. You went running all day yesterday. You said you went to work early this morning to use the machines? And you’ve been acting odd about some things.”</p><p>Link snorted. “Fighting the inner demons, a little harder than usual. I’m just trying to keep myself from being stupid. I started Thursday, so it hasn’t been a week, but exercising is my mind-numbing place. It helps.”</p><p>“Can I do anything?”</p><p>He shrugged. “You can come closer. Closer…” he whispered dramatically and in a raspy voice. “<em>Closer</em>…”</p><p>She made a face, stifling a laugh, but moving so she was pressed up against him, his arm around her.</p><p>“Hey,” he said quickly, back to his serious voice. “You know, what Aryll called you out there? I’ve never said anything.”</p><p>“When she called me your girlfriend?” Zelda laughed, using the word Link was carefully dancing around.</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>“It’s okay, Link. I don’t mind.”</p><p>Link froze. “Don’t mind… her calling you that or… the… concept?”</p><p>Zelda debated for a moment. “Either, if that’s not too weird to say. I mean, it’s not like I am interested in anyone else, and I’m not playing the field, and I really only want to date you, so… it’s not the worst thing for someone to call me. But that’s weird… isn’t it? We’ve only been on one date.”</p><p>Link shifted and readjusted his arm behind Zelda. “You and I have spent multiple days and nights together. You know things about me that Ilia and Pipit don’t even know. I don’t think it’s <em>that</em> weird. I don’t want to date other people either, so… if you want a term to introduce us to people, I’m not objecting.”</p><p>“’People?’ Like how you’ll have to officially meet my parents?”</p><p>“I’ve met them once.”</p><p>Zelda turned into him, dangerously close to his lips now. “What did you say to my father when you met him, by the way?”</p><p>Link hummed and grinned at her. “I told him it was a pleasure to meet him.” He grabbed her neck, letting his fingers lightly run along the side before he kissed her lips quickly. “I told him he had a lovely daughter.” He kissed her again, this time, wrapping his other arm around her waist so he could spin them both out of a sitting position. Zelda was lying flat on the bed, under Link. “I also said he had a lovely home.” Another quick kiss. “And I thanked him for allowing us to stay over. He said it was good to meet me and then I said something very similar to your mom.”</p><p>“Sounds like Ilia might have helped you out there,” Zelda laughed, pulling him back to her.</p><p>“Mhmm,” he muttered against her lips. “Maybe,” he said when they pulled away, both laughing. “I <em>might</em> have been nervous, and she <em>might </em>have suggested a few things that I stole word-for-word.”</p><p>“Good call. My parents liked everyone.” But a different thought dawned on her, and Zelda sat up a little and glanced at his closed door. “Is this the first time we’ve been alone together in weeks? Like, in private with no one watching us and no grandparents to yell at us?”</p><p>Link tried to think, but the last thing he could remember doing with Zelda without some kind of audience had been the first time he’d stayed over at her house. “It just might be?”</p><p>Zelda laid back and made a face, challenging him to act on their newfound revelation. Link just laughed and met her lips again, his hands clinging to her waist, to the fabric of his own sweatshirt on her.</p><p>Zelda learned very quickly that she loved kissing Link. Not only did her heart clench in the best possible way, but she very literally loved what he’d do. He was a mixed bag, often switching between light, teasing kisses that had her involuntarily arching into him, leaving her body wanting more than a simple brush of his lips, and something that she could only describe to herself as far more substantial. She couldn’t help but sigh as his lips trailed lightly over the skin of her neck, teasing her with minimal pressure before actually kissing her. It was infuriating and intoxicating all at once.</p><p>At the same time, Link learned he could kiss Zelda all day. He loved feeling her react, to feel her hands pull him closer or run through his hair, her nails teasing him with a ticklish sort of pressure. But he loved when her lips made their way up his jaw and to his ear, taunting him with her breath, making his neck crane just so she could better play with that area.</p><p>Both their hands explored whatever exposed skin they had: necks, faces, hands. But after a breathless while, realizing that—while they could do this all day—they were tired from everything else, and it was catching up to them once they began lazily pressing kisses to the other simply because they <em>could</em>.</p><p>Zelda was curled up against his shoulder, swollen lips, tingling skin. His arm was bent so he could play with her hair as he looked over at her. His eyes were tired, baggy, heavy. She hummed out a laugh. “What?”</p><p>“How did we get here?” he asked, never stopping his fingers as they threaded her locks again and again.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“I just mean… I’m glad we argued. In class.”</p><p>“Yeah, me too,” Zelda laughed, throwing her arm across his stomach. “We probably never would have spoken if you’d been nice or if I’d ignored your comment.”</p><p>“Strange things lead to big moments. I never knew how much I wanted you in my life until I realized you weren’t in it.”</p><p>“Is that why you gave me your jacket that day?” She tugged the sleeves of her sweatshirt tighter.</p><p>“Yeah, maybe,” he admitted.</p><p>“I’m glad you’re in my life too, Link.”</p><p>Link closed his eyes, resting against her, too tired from his ungodly early morning. Zelda spun away from Link, grabbing her phone to check the time. “Nope! We have to be at rehearsal in a few hours. We can’t sleep.”</p><p>“Set an alarm. I still have to cook something for the three of us. I just really want to close my eyes.”</p><p>Zelda scoffed but didn’t argue, not hating the idea herself. She set one for thirty minutes and hit start, putting it down for a moment before picking it back up and aiming the camera at her and Link, catching a shot with his arm around her and his closed eyes.</p><p>“Zelda,” he muttered, chuckling as he heard the click of the camera.</p><p>“What? I wanted a picture of us.”</p><p>He opened one eye and saw her aiming the camera at them again, scooting forward into the shot to kiss her neck just before the next click.</p><p>“Link!” she exclaimed, laughing as she looked back at the picture. “Actually, not a bad picture.”</p><p>“Send it to me,” he mumbled, closing his eyes again, too tired after waking up earlier than usual that morning.</p><p>“You owe me a picture of you in your glasses,” Zelda mumbled as she settled against Link, and this time, Zelda’s eyes closed as well.</p>
<hr/><p>Mr. Ezlo was sitting in the front row, hand over his mouth as he watched the scene play out in front of him. And he was horrified.</p><p>“Revali, Zelda, are you both okay? What’s happening with you today?”</p><p>Zelda crossed her arms and looked at Revali, letting him answer.</p><p>He smirked at her, though there was nothing kind about it. “I don’t know what you mean, Mr. Ezlo. We’re fine.”</p><p>“You and Ruto are fine, but Zelda, come on. Your character is in a romantic entanglement with Mr. Hyde. Act like it.”</p><p>“Sorry,” she said, never more apathetic in her life as she grabbed Revali’s hand. “I almost forgot that I was supposed to actually like him. I’ve been channeling her hate and fear of him instead.”</p><p>Revali glared at her as she used part of her character’s plot to talk blatantly about him.</p><p>Mr. Ezlo sighed. “That’s good, keep channeling that, but add the attraction, please. It’s… well, you have no chemistry today.”</p><p>“I’m not sure why,” Zelda mumbled, glaring at Revali as she moved back into place.</p><p>“What could have caused that, I wonder?” he asked as she passed. And his head swiveled over to the wings where Link, Ilia, and a few others were painting.</p><p>“Just do the scene, Revali,” she hissed at him, rolling her eyes.</p><p>“Let’s go!” Mr. Ezlo called, urging them to start back up again.</p><p>Link looked up, watching Zelda for a moment before returning to what he was aimlessly painting, glad that he had to cover everything in the same black color, because he wasn’t paying enough attention to be avoiding any spots that had already been painted.</p><p>He had one earbud in, listening to his own music to drown out the constant restarting of the song in the play. He loved listening to Zelda sing, but today was mostly Revali, and he was beyond glad he could ignore his stupid squawking. He only didn’t use the other earbud to drown him out so that Link could still hear Ilia.</p><p>“Are we done yet?” Ilia whispered to Link, slapping the brush down haphazardly, splashing some droplets at everyone. “Sorry,” she added before smoothing the blob down.</p><p>Link ran his hand along his ruined pants, ones he wore to work often and had already been splattered with old oil and paint stains. Black smeared off his palm, and he gave Ilia a bland look.</p><p>She stifled a laugh and watched the show for a moment, cringing at just how difficult it looked for Zelda to share the same space with Revali. Link followed her gaze and watched as the two of them kissed. It was forced, and looked physically painful for both of them. And when they broke apart, they both angrily started whispering to each other.</p><p>“Is that supposed to happen?” Ilia asked, unable to hear anything they were saying, unlike when they projected out their lines.</p><p>Link shook his head when he noticed the audience that had come out of the wings to see what was happening. “I don’t think so?”</p><p>Ruto burst on stage, waving her arms wildly as she stalked towards Zelda, screaming something unintelligible at Zelda.</p><p>“Shit,” Ilia muttered, hitting Link’s arm. “Get up! This isn’t part of the play!”</p><p>Ilia had less stuff around her and was faster than Link in getting to Zelda. She reached them just as Ruto got into Zelda’s space, muttering something too low to hear, Link only about a second behind her.</p><p>Link and Ilia grabbed Zelda just as she was about to physically push Ruto away from her.</p><p>“You told her?” she balked at Revali.</p><p>Ilia moved between Zelda and Ruto, carefully urging Zelda to follow where Link was leading her away. “Don’t get yourself suspended or expelled for fighting, Zelda.”</p><p>“It’s worth it,” she muttered, giving an experimental tug on her own arm, but they had her too securely.</p><p>Revali had his arms crossed, watching with a triumphant smile. “She needed to know who we’ve been hanging around with.”</p><p>Darunia had moved in to grab Ruto, who was trying to follow.</p><p>“What?” Zelda shot back. “What are you even talking about?”</p><p>“What you did to Rav,” Revali shrugged, casual, like it was a fact of life he was telling her. “You know what I’m talking about.”</p><p>Zelda’s mouth dropped. “What <em>I </em>did?”</p><p>“Hey!” Mr. Ezlo screamed, standing between everyone. It was clear it hadn’t been his first time trying to get their attention. “Revali! Take a walk! Ruto, Darunia, you too!”</p><p>When they’d gone up the aisle and into the foyer of the school, Mr. Ezlo led Zelda back towards the empty wings. “What just happened?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” Zelda lied, not wanting to bring a teacher into their private lives. “We just haven’t been on the same page this past week.”</p><p>“That’s not what that was,” he said, glancing behind him. “Tell me so I can help, please.”</p><p>“There’s nothing to tell, I promise. We’re just fighting right now. It’s something stupid. It’ll pass.”</p><p>He shook his head, unsure if he should believe her. Her words sounded sincere. She put her best acting voice into it, but he also knew that she, Ruto, and Revali were close. Perhaps it was just a little fight that tipped over the edge tonight?</p><p>“I’m going to talk to Revali. Go get some air, okay?”</p><p>She nodded, keeping her face impassive until the three of them reach the door leading outside. And then her composure cracked.</p><p>Her hand swipes under her nose, trying to stop herself from crying. “I think I need to call Makeela,” she said, reaching for her phone. Her hand shook as she held it.</p><p>“Zelda?” Link finally asked.</p><p>“I think,” she started, unable to type her password in. “There <em>might</em> be a rumor about me and Ravio going around school soon. I don’t know. Maybe Revali is just trying to rattle me, or maybe he’s going to start a rumor. I don’t know. I don’t <em>know</em>.”</p><p>“Is there something we can do?” Link asked as he took her phone, typing her password for her before handing it back.</p><p>“Yeah, don’t believe it.”</p><p>“Okay, that’s easy enough,” he said. He wanted to reach over and comfort her, but she'd tightened up, holding her arms in close to herself in a way that basically screamed that she wanted some space. He looked up at Ilia. She didn’t seem to know what else to do either.</p><p>“Actually,” Zelda said, sitting in the grass and letting her phone fall from her fingers. “Can you distract me?”</p><p>Link and Ilia joined her. “What do you want to do for your birthday?”</p><p>Zelda laughed softly. “What do you want to do for <em>yours?</em>” Their birthdays were only a few weeks apart, with Zelda’s coming up first. Ilia listened carefully, resting her chin on her knees as the three of them spoke, waiting for Mr. Ezlo to come back.</p><p>And for a few minutes, Zelda was able to forget Revali, and the trust he’d broken. And the realization hit her hard that she never wanted him to try to win it back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Three weeks later, nothing had happened. The silent glares Zelda received from Revali, Ravio, and Ruto were a promise of something to come, but they had been mostly silent, only commenting briefly and snidely when Zelda would be near—or more specifically <em>kiss</em>—Link anywhere in their presence.</p><p>Rehearsals were tense. Mr. Ezlo had called both Revali and Zelda’s parents to let them know about the near fight, but Zelda’s mom had simply said she knew they were having a rough patch and that Zelda assured her it would pass.</p><p>Link no longer attended rehearsals, the set having been finished later the same week as the fight. It was strange not to see Link anywhere around during those hours. She was used to him either being in the wings, or in the foyer. And though she could have a few casual conversations with some of the others in the show, she didn’t have <em>her friends</em>, and that was what hurt the most. Rehearsals became quite lonely, a tedious task more than anything fun, like they used to be. Darunia would make an effort sometimes, but cliques were tight, and Zelda was no longer part of that one.</p><p>She couldn’t wait for opening night in a few weeks, for this show to finally be over. She was seriously going to have to consider being in the Spring play.</p><p>But with Link, things had been good. More than good. They spent weekends taking a full day to hang out together. Sometimes, they’d spend a few hours together between school and rehearsals, which had gotten more frequent for Zelda. She had been at rehearsals nearly every day as the show began to come together as a whole. Everyone had come over her house last weekend again, though no one stayed over this time. She and Link hadn’t had much more time together than that, though. They’d primarily been relegated to the phone.</p><p>Link’s morning job had shut down after receiving notification that the owners were about to be investigated. Link had quit before he could go down with the ship, especially since he was working illegal hours as a minor. Aryll had asked him to hold off on getting another job until <em>at least </em>his birthday, so it wasn’t quite so dangerous. Gabe did his best to provide Link with extra legal hours in the meantime, which kept Link as busy as possible.</p><p>It was getting colder, and Zelda hadn’t felt her phone slip out of her hand before she backed her car up over it.</p><p>But Zelda found herself driving to Link’s work… again… and not as a social call.</p><p>She leaned against the counter, watching Link as he examined her phone. He was on the electronics side of the shop today, so he was less disheveled than when she saw him last time when he’d worn coveralls and a hat, sweating with his face in the hood of a running car, grease all over his hands as he carefully avoided touching her while she brought his wallet he’d dropped in her car that day when they’d gone for a quick coffee before work.</p><p>Now, he was simply in a shirt with the garage’s logo on it, and cargo pants, a cap on backwards that kept his hair from his eyes.</p><p>“Damn, Zel, what the fuck did you do to this poor thing?”</p><p>She resisted the urge to casually toss his hat aside, run her fingers through his hair, pull him to her and…</p><p>“I ran over it,” she said, clearing her throat and keeping her thoughts in the actual present.</p><p>“You…” he looked up at her and scoffed. His eyes drifted to her hand. “Should I not hand you my phone all winter?”</p><p>She glanced at her thumb to see a smear of red and a piece of the screen embedded in her thumb. “You have an old, indestructible brick of a phone. It should be safe with me.”</p><p>“Go ahead through the back. There’s a sink,” he muttered, turning the shattered phone over in his hand and letting the loose glass fall onto the counter. “And don’t hate me if there’s no saving this.”</p><p>“I won’t,” she said, kissing his cheek as she passed by him to the center room.</p><p>Gabe was on the couch with a magazine in his hand. He looked up at Zelda and smiled as she ran her bloody thumb under the water. “Happy almost-birthday, Zelda.”</p><p>“You know?” she asked, grabbing soap.</p><p>“Link’s been… talking.”</p><p>Zelda narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice. “I asked him not to get me anything. Did he listen?”</p><p>Gabe just shrugged, though it was very obvious he knew the answer. “All I know is that I gave him the day off because the kid’s been working too hard and I hope he can hear me about needing to take more days off!”</p><p>“I can!” Link called back before heading around the corner, shaking his head. “You’re a murderer, Princess. Sorry. Unless Gabe sees something I can’t.”</p><p>Gabe sat up and stretched. “I heard you ran it over?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>He chuckled and went to the counter, leaving Link and Zelda in the back.</p><p>“You talk about me at work?” Zelda asked, leaning into Link. He pointedly refused to answer that one. It made her smile triumphantly. “So, what did you get me for my birthday? Did you write me a song on your guitar?”</p><p>He raised an eyebrow as he looked over at her. “Is that what you want?”</p><p>She hit his arm excitedly. “Is that what you got me? Because I told you not to buy anything.”</p><p>“I haven’t played in a while, but I will write you a whole fucking ballad tonight if that’s what you want for your birthday.”</p><p>“That’s the enthusiasm I’m looking for!” Zelda laughed, letting go of him.</p><p>Link picked something up and turned it over before grabbing a screwdriver off the wall. “What time are your parents leaving tomorrow?”</p><p>“Oh,” Zelda cooed. “<em>That’s </em>the kind of gift you got me.”</p><p>He scoffed, chuckling. “I gather that means I should come <em>after</em> they leave.”</p><p>Gabe returned, shaking his head. “Your phone is dead. Now please tell me I’m not hearing this conversation.”</p><p>Link started to laugh to himself. “I would never talk to my girlfriend about salacious activities, Gabe. Relax.”</p><p>“’Salacious?’” Zelda chuckled before returning her attention to Gabe’s mortified face. “We have nothing planned that you should be concerned about. Link is stressing you out for fun.”</p><p>Gabe motioned for Zelda to move aside for him as he made his way closer to Link, clapping him on the shoulder. “Do we need to have a chat, Link?”</p><p>Link nearly dropped the screwdriver in his hands. “Fuck no,” he choked out.</p><p>“Have you both… had a chat with each other then?”</p><p>Link glared at Zelda, her face as red as his. “This is entirely your fault.”</p><p>“Only partially my fault,” she corrected in her agreement.</p><p>“Have you?” Gabe prodded. “You need to.”</p><p>“Gods,” Link muttered, wrapping his hands behind his head. “No, Gabe.”</p><p>Gabe crossed his arms and looked between them both. “Don’t do anything stupid. I feel responsible for you, and you will not be stupid on my watch. When Zelda leaves, you and I are talking.”</p><p>“Hylia, save me,” Link groaned.</p><p>“If you can’t talk about it, kid…”</p><p>“Okay! Okay, just stop,” Link said, putting the screwdriver down. “Later, if it makes you happy.”</p><p>“It absolutely doesn’t,” Gabe admitted before handing Zelda her broken phone in a sealed bag and heading back to his couch.  </p><hr/><p>Zelda showed up at school the next day and hurried over to Link’s locker. “My mom went to get me a new phone last night and she gave it to me this morning! You can text me again!”</p><p>Link pulled Zelda to him and kissed her, playfully swaying side to side. “Happy birthday.”</p><p>“Thank you! Now, I’m dying to know how your awkward talk with Gabe was when I left?”</p><p>Link made a face and shook his head, looking around for any listening ears. But they were early, and the hall was fairly empty. “Listen, I had this talk with my father <em>years</em> ago and it wasn’t nearly as awkward.”</p><p>“It’s nice that Gabe was looking out for you though.”</p><p>Link was already turning red. “I appreciate it, but he could have been more subtle. I don’t remember how I got home, that’s how scarred I was from that conversation.”</p><p>“How could it have been <em>that</em> bad?” Zelda laughed.</p><p>Link cleared his throat and grabbed her hand, a serious expression over his face. “I want you to remember a joke you once made to me when we first started talking. And then I want you to open the front pocket of my backpack, but keep it in my locker.”</p><p>Zelda made a face but did as he said, and Link knew it when she gasped, returning her eyes to him, wide and in genuine shock.</p><p>“Link! Why in the good hell did you bring these to school?”</p><p>“Apparently, I left the shop without my bag last night, so I had to pick it up this morning. And I don’t have a car to shove them in, so here they are.”</p><p>Zelda was burning, red, awkward, and stomach rolling. “I had you pegged as a guy with condoms in his pocket from like, day three when you lent me your jacket!” She laughed, letting some of her now nervous energy out. “I just… this isn’t the plan for tonight, right? I’m not… and it’s not you, I’m just not ready for that yet…”</p><p>Link shook his head, running a hand through his hair, wide eyed at the implication. It had been all fun and games until he actually thought about the message it <em>actually </em>sent. “No, gods, that’s fine. That's... we're just eating and watching a movie, right? Gabe just heard us joking yesterday and now... here we are.”</p><p>“Yeah, that's the plan. Just checking.” She started to laugh again, playfully hitting his backpack, back to their easy way of being around each other. They were so <em>comfortable</em> with each other at this point, and it was just easy. “Good to know you’re <em>so</em> prepared for another day though, Mr. Confident.”</p><p>He turned red again and pressed his face into the cool locker at the thought of <em>another day</em>. But he was determined to keep his mind off <em>that</em> and focus it in a less appealing direction. They were at school, after all. “Fucking hell, Zelda. I mean, it was bad enough knowing Gabe had a handful at the shop ready to go.”</p><p>“Oh gods, that's true…” she muttered.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Zelda!” they heard as the hallway shook with Makeela’s loud footsteps racing through the hall, waving paper in the air.</p><p>“Oh gods,” Zelda whispered again, excitedly bracing herself just in time for Makeela to crash hard into her.</p><p>“Happy birthday!” she squealed, picking Zelda up before pushing her out of the way so that she could decorate Zelda’s locker, spinning the combo so she could get inside. “I made one for the outside too, but I figured it was totally possible that Ruto would be a bitch and draw something stupid on it, so we’re decorating the inside.”</p><p>She turned around. “Link! Sign her birthday poster! Where’s Ilia? Is she here yet? We need her, too!”</p><p>“She’s not here yet,” Link said, pulling a pen out of his back pocket.</p><p>Zelda noted the abnormally chewed cap as he signed it ‘Lonk.’ She snorted and earned an annoyed look from Makeela. “One day, fifty years from now she’s going to say ‘Who’s Lonk’?”</p><p>“One day, fifty years from now, I will not remember this piece of paper, but I will remember my beautiful bestie who threw me a locker party. So thank you.”</p><p>“I’m sorry I have to work today, but we’re still hanging out tomorrow?” she asked.</p><p>Zelda nodded excitedly. “Of course. I can’t wait. You and me all day! You’re going to be so sick of me!”</p><p>“Great! I’m so ready! Link, I need you to go borrow tape from Mr. Auru, please.”</p><p>“Okay,” he laughed, heading off down the hall.</p><p>The day went slowly, most of it spent with Zelda anxiously staring at the clock, waiting for the day to just end. She’d received a few sarcastic comments from Ruto, who was quickly devolving into a follower of Revali, whatever he said. Though, he’d pointedly ignored Zelda all day, opting to hang out more obviously with Rav. Still, no one uttered anything to her. No rumors, no comments. Nothing.</p><p>But when the final bell rang, Zelda all but sprinted to her car, nearly beating Link to his motorcycle as they both drove to Link’s house. He dropped his motorcycle off, ran inside to change out of his uniform, and got into Zelda’s car, chatting together mindlessly about their day before stopping at Malo Mart. Zelda’s mom had given her the credit card to buy herself whatever she wanted to eat for her birthday meal, despite needing to be the one to make it herself.</p><p>They went up and down a few aisles, plucking two steaks from the shelf, a new container of rock salt, and a pre-made cake before grabbing a few random trinkets off the shelf at the register that neither of them needed but couldn’t resist. Like how Link grabbed a magnetized, breakable pot he just couldn’t resist, and Zelda bought a small figurine of a cucco for her desk.</p><p>Part of Link’s gift to her, he claimed, was him carrying the bags into the house, because it was free labor, and he’d promised not to buy her anything. He had both their backpacks on his shoulders, and two bags in his hand.</p><p>Zelda rolled her eyes, but quickly took a picture before locking up the door and heading upstairs to change into something more comfortable as well.</p><p>It was still early, and begrudgingly, they did some homework together, none too pleased that Zelda’s birthday fell on a Thursday, and not a weekend.</p><p>They were both curled into each other on the couch. Link had Zelda’s math textbook balancing on one leg, his own notebook on the other. He glanced at her notebook as she erased the same problem for the third time.</p><p>“Need help?”</p><p>She scowled when she saw he was a full fifteen problems ahead of her. “Maybe… but first, how do you do that so fast?”</p><p>He set the book down and moved closer to her. “Math brain. I don’t know.”</p><p>“Talent,” she said, watching him scribble the problem in her notebook and walk her through the equation.</p><p>And the door opened.</p><p>Zelda gasped, nearly knocking their books over. “Shit!”</p><p>Link chuckled to himself as he watched her mother walk through the door, followed shortly by her father.</p><p>“Oh,” Arina said, noticing Link. “Hello. What are you two doing?”</p><p>Zelda grabbed her pencil. “Homework.”</p><p>Ramus put his briefcase down, slowly unbuttoning his jacket. “We’re just here for our break to say happy birthday. We can’t stay long, unfortunately.”</p><p>Arina sat across from them, leaving Ramus in the other room. “I’m glad you have company over. No Makeela though?”</p><p>“She’s working. This is Link. He was at that watch party I had when you met my friends.”</p><p>“Oh, of course,” Arina said, though it was a practiced line that <em>almost</em> sounded convincing. “It’s good to see you again, Link.”</p><p>Link smiled a winning smile. “It’s good to see you again, too, Mrs. Harkinian, Mr. Harkinian.” He nodded at both of them as he said their names.</p><p>“He’s staying for dinner. We bought something to make, and a cake. Your card is on the counter, thank you,” Zelda said quickly.</p><p>Ramus stood behind his wife, leaning against her chair. “How’s the homework?”</p><p>Zelda could feel herself starting to freeze up. Her parents were absent, not unobservant. They’d seen how close they’d been sitting, despite the distance between them now. And they <em>had to</em> recognize their own daughter’s panic was not something reserved for simple friends. “Link’s helping me with math.”</p><p>“Is he? But you’re so good.”</p><p>“He’s better.”</p><p>Link could feel himself getting red. “I’m not,” he said, clearing his throat as he looked at Zelda. “I’m fast. That’s not better.”</p><p>Zelda went to argue, but her father cleared his throat.</p><p>“Well-said,” Ramus agreed, making his way over to Link. “Forgive me, I believe I’ve forgotten if we were formally introduced. I’m Ramus.” His voice held the same practiced cordiality as her mother’s had. He remembered Link, but instead, held out his hand.</p><p>Link stood and took it, feeling Zelda’s panicked eyes on him. “Link.”</p><p>“Rough hands of a tradesman,” Ramus said. Zelda buried her face into her palms as he continued. “What do you do for work?”</p><p>“Auto and electronics repair.”</p><p>“Dexterity. I like that,” Ramus said, finally letting go. “Are you any good?”</p><p>Link glanced back at Zelda, trying to hold back an endeared smile at her discomfort. “I believe I am.”</p><p>“I have a key fob that won’t work. I haven’t had time to get it into the shop. Can you fix it?”</p><p>“If you have tools, I can try.”</p><p>“Good,” Ramus said, clapping Link on the back. “Zelda, I’m borrowing your friend.”</p><p>Ramus led Link towards the garage, leaving Zelda alone with her mother.</p><p>“So, you like him?” Arina asked when they were out of sight.</p><p>“Yes,” Zelda said casually. “He’s great.”</p><p>“Zelda, darling, please. I’m just interested.”</p><p>“Yes, I <em>like</em> him,” Zelda was willing to admit. It was a little too obvious for her to deny at this point, and she knew it.</p><p>“Does he know?”</p><p>Zelda could feel her insides contracting. “Yes. He knows.”</p><p>“Oh. So…”</p><p>“We’re kind of dating. Please don’t make a big deal. Please, I’m begging you.”</p><p>Arina looked almost scandalized. “I would never!”</p><p>“You would too!”</p><p>Link came back in and stood near the couch, politely nodding to her mom before looking at Zelda. “Your dad says you know where the alcohol is.”</p><p>“Alcohol? Are you two getting drunk together?”</p><p>Link scoffed. “Not that kind. Like… if you were going to use it to clean something… like an electronic.”</p><p>Making a face, Zelda shrugged. “The first-floor bathroom. Check the cabinet and under the sink.”</p><p>“Zelda,” her mother whispered when Link headed out. “Go with him. I don’t want him in the cabinets without someone watching. You may know him, but I don’t.”</p><p>Zelda rolled her eyes. “He’s not going to take your vitamins, but fine.”</p><p>She made her way into the bathroom, leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed. “So, I’m meant to watch you, and also my mom knows we’re ‘kind of dating,’ was my exact wording. That means she’s running to tell my dad right now.”</p><p>Link pulled out a bottle and waved it at her. “Well, now I really need to fix that key fob. Do you have Q-Tips?”</p><p>Zelda motioned to the cabinet. “Are you that calm?”</p><p>“Focused. Got to fix the fob.” Link pulled two Q-Tips out and headed back with Zelda, unsurprised to find Arina in the garage, and Ramus’ eyes watching just a little closer.</p><p>Link worked fast and had the key fob clean and back together in no time, hitting a button and hearing a responding beep. If he’d lost any points for simply existing as a creature dating their daughter, he earned them back.</p><p>Ramus admittedly looked impressed. “Oh, wow. That was easier than I thought it would be.”</p><p>Link capped the bottle and nodded. “Often, dust and dirt can just get inside the cracks and settle on the sensors, preventing them from making a connection. Cleaning them will usually do it.”</p><p>“Thank you, Link,” her father said carefully. “I’d love if we could meet you more formally next time. You should join us all for dinner someday soon.”</p><p>Link glanced back at Zelda before returning his gaze. “That would be nice. I appreciate the invitation. Thank you.”</p><p>There wasn’t much more time for discussion, as both of them headed back out the door, her father incessantly unlocking his door so it would beep several times. But he too went back to work.</p><p>Zelda was left beside Link, practically shaking from nerves. “Oh gods, that was awful.”</p><p>Link chuckled and ran his hands along her arms. “It wasn’t bad. It’ll be bad when they want to meet me ‘formally’ and then ask any questions about my family or my past. <em>That</em> is when it’ll get bad.”</p><p>Groaning, Zelda face-planted his chest.</p><p>“They’re not going to go easy on you, just so you’re prepared.”</p><p>Link laughed again, pulling her closer, determined as hell not to let his own nerves show too. They knew all too well that <em>one </em>of them being freaked out was enough.</p><p>“Well, Zelda, you’re worth it.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I feel like my goal this chapter was: how many awkward scenarios can happen with parental figures all at once? Hahahhaha! The next chapter is going to pick up where this one left off. It was just getting to be a long chapter, so I broke it up!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, I'm putting this at the top today. This chapter is a rollercoaster of so many different things happening that took me three days to write because I just kept adding stuff to it and then deleting it all and then adding it back. You're lucky I'm not doing daily posts right now or these past two chapters would have been split into so many smaller ones hahah!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Link was sitting on the counter, watching Zelda pace, still concerned about her parents. He’d run out of things to say to try to calm her down about the fact that they wanted to have Link over. She didn’t even know what they’d say or do. She was just… anxious.</p>
<p>“Zelda,” he tried for the fourth time. And for the fourth time, she didn’t hear him.</p>
<p>She was going on and on about how terrible it would be if they tried to stop her from seeing him. And how she’d have to run away or be kicked out. And find a nice job. And a house. And food.</p>
<p>Link slid off the counter, hitting the power button on the built-in speakers in the wall and taking Zelda’s phone from her hands, leaning on the counter as he scrolled through her music, finally finding her playlist of the Indigo-Go’s and letting their songs shuffle.</p>
<p>When the first song started playing, Zelda crossed her arms. “Are you trying to get me to shut up?”</p>
<p>“No, just to calm down,” he admitted with a smirk. “You can keep talking.”</p>
<p>She pushed her hair from her face and leaned beside Link. “My parents never actually met Rav. Did I ever tell you that? I never wanted him to meet them. He and I were… not like you and me. I <em>want </em>you to meet them formally. It’s just making me so nervous.”</p>
<p>Link gestured to the speakers. “Take your mind off of it. It’s not a problem we need to think about today. If they find out about my past, then they find out. It’s not the worst thing. I haven’t been in any trouble in years, I’m a recovering smoker, I have two jobs, I mean… not to blow my own horn, but I’m not doing too bad these days.”</p>
<p>Zelda chuckled, her wide, almost <em>proud</em> smile spoke more than her words ever could. She knew what a struggle it was for Link, especially over the past few weeks with smoking. And he was truly doing his best. “You’re doing incredible. If they focus on your past, they’re insane.”</p>
<p>She started to get more into the upbeat song Link had turned on and laughed when she saw Link’s eyes on her swaying hips. When his eyes darted back up to hers, he closed them, caught, but far less embarrassed than he thought he would be. Certainly, it was less awkward than it would have been just a few months ago at the beginning of the school year. More than that, she really didn’t hate the idea of his hands following his gaze.</p>
<p>“Come on,” Zelda said, grabbing his hands and threading her fingers through them, pulling him with her into the empty space by the speakers.</p>
<p>“I can’t dance, Zel,” he warned.</p>
<p>She shrugged and started moving his arms back and forth with hers. “You’re not in a talent show. You’re just with me.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” he laughed nervously., loosening his muscles to let her pull him around, leading him in a non-dance that only the two of them could have figured out. Half of it was spent jumping or letting their feet aimlessly move around the room, another part was spent swaying, and the rest was just them moving their joined hands around in some way.</p>
<p>Zelda had to take the initiative, but she bridged the gap between them when the song changed from an anthem to something much more mellow. She moved his hands to her hips and wrapped her arms around his neck with a sly grin, resting her head on his chest. She could feel his <em>fast </em>heartbeat, and almost wondered if he would actually be okay.</p>
<p>“Imagine if we’d been at homecoming <em>together</em>?” he asked, pressing his lips against her temple, needing something to focus on that wasn’t where his hands were.</p>
<p>They were swaying slowly, too slow for the song, but they were comfortable off the tempo. “I imagine it would have been like this but with a lot more gawking from everyone,” she said, tightening her grip on him. “We could always go to the Winter Formal together and see if people still care. Or we could skip it.”</p>
<p>“No,” Link muttered, kissing her cheek, and then her jaw. “I want to go with you. Let’s give them something to stare at for once.”</p>
<p>Zelda beamed before pulling Link toward her, pressing her lips to his when they were close enough. Her hand moved up from around his neck to play with his hair.</p>
<p>But Link’s reaction was far more than she’d been expecting, but she certainly wasn’t complaining. He guided her backwards until she felt a cold chill run up her spine as she backed against the refrigerator, pinned between two things that were making her shiver. His hand was behind her head to prevent a hard impact before he let his fingers trace down the back of her neck.</p>
<p>And if she wasn’t already trembling with mad desire for him, his tongue against her lips did her in.</p>
<p>He didn’t taste like cigarettes anymore, but there was the distinct remnant flavor of the gum he’d been chewing earlier.</p>
<p>She was beyond thankful that he had her pinned pretty securely when his braver side took over, emboldened by the soft noises she’d been making. Their kisses became deeper, exploratory and experimental, languid and lazy, fierce and breathless.</p>
<p>In hindsight, Zelda realized just how much confidence it took Link to hold on to his new acts of boldness. Where, in the past, he’d backed down and broken away, now, he pulled away only to look at her as his hand slipped under her shirt to the skin of her waist, firmly set while he waited for some sign that this new territory was okay. Zelda nodded, and was quickly overwhelmed by his hands set a hot fire to her skin as they explored her soft skin, and his lips as they took a tantalizing route from her ear, to her jaw, her chin, her neck, to her collarbone. He’d gotten bold, but he was still Link, and he’d managed to talk himself out of bringing his hands to her front, instead opting to run up her back and down to the upper part of her hips.  </p>
<p> His hands didn’t tremble against her, and her body had begun to work again.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Link whispered as he jerked away from her with a sharp hiss, but Zelda reached out to stop him, catching the fabric at the bottom of his shirt with one hand, the other bracing herself against the cold refrigerator, and pulled him back, knowing – or rather, <em>feeling</em>—exactly why he’d ducked out of range. So when her lack of distaste had <em>clearly</em>registered to Link, he realized he forgot what feeling embarrassed meant as they both breathed and groaned and hissed and hummed into the other’s mouth, clumsily staggering for the couch, refusing to break apart until they nearly fell on top of each other when they crashed into the coffee table, laughing uncontrollably while they sat down to attempt to recover some of their lost air.</p>
<p>When they moved back together, it was slower, less abrasive, but no less passionate. And this time, Zelda rested her hands at the bottom of his shirt, waiting for permission of her own. Link glanced at his backpack on the ground.</p>
<p>“How far is this going?” he asked carefully, through heaving breaths.</p>
<p>Zelda laughed, red faced, shaking the fabric of his shirt. “Is this okay? I don’t want to go much farther… <em>tonight.</em>”</p>
<p>He nodded with a cheeky smirk. “Whatever you want is fine with me. I could do this all day anyway.”</p>
<p>She snorted and rolled her eyes, letting her hand drift up his shirt.</p>
<p>And he practically convulsed, sucking his stomach in with a harsh breath. “Holy fucking hell, Zelda. Your hand is ice cold.”</p>
<p>Relieved that <em>that</em> was the cause of his reaction, she made a face. “You had me against a refrigerator. Next time, pick the oven.”</p>
<p>Link started to cackle, but he grabbed her hand to stop her as she grabbed his shirt, both of them freezing as a light shone through a nearby window: a car in the driveway.</p>
<p>“Are my parents back?” Zelda whispered, as if they could hear her. She slid off the couch and fixed her disheveled hair, peaking out the window and letting out a heavy sigh. “It’s someone’s delivery.”</p>
<p>“Gods,” Link muttered, grabbing a pillow to lean on. “Imagine? And you were nervous about that dinner <em>before</em>! If they’d just walked in on us, that future dinner would have been gods-awful!”</p>
<p>Zelda made a face and sat next to Link. “Oh, there’s no way we’re picking up where we left off,” Zelda chuckled. “Now that’s all I’ll think about. I wish you weren’t working this weekend. I could have just gone to your house.”</p>
<p>“Wait, what part is all you’ll think about? Me or your parents walking in?”</p>
<p>“Both,” she said, laughing as she kissed him again, fast and playful. But she pulled away, suddenly serious. “Thank you for coming over. I know you took a day off for it. And Makeela’s working, so I would have just been watching television alone or something tonight.”</p>
<p>“I’d offer to stay over if you wanted, but your parents, and then I don’t have my uniform for tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“No, no it’s fine. I’m just glad you’re here now.”</p>
<p>Link grabbed her knee before leaning back against her.</p>
<p>Zelda got comfortable, though she grimaced at a thought. “Gabe might have been right, huh? Maybe we should talk? Because there’s something I want to tell you… the thing with Ravio, specifically.”</p>
<p>Link sat back up and nodded, listening intently.</p>
<p>Zelda laughed awkwardly. “I guess… Rav and I weren’t like us. We weren’t close. I… well I thought he was hot. He was that cool guy everyone likes even though they don’t know him, and that was about all I knew when we started dating. And he just… he was <em>pushy</em>, you know? Like, here’s an innocent example, I guess: I’m afraid of spiders. Really afraid. And he got a tarantula that he said was my new pet to help me get over my fear and he let it out near me and I swear I nearly died. And… I <em>may</em> have killed it when I threw something, which he was pissed at because I wasted his money and killed it. So he did things like that.”</p>
<p>Link’s eyes had narrowed, though he didn’t interrupt. Zelda took a breath. Starting with that story hadn’t made it any easier.</p>
<p>“But when we were alone, he would try to push me to do things I wasn’t ready for. Like, I remember being in his room and just… I just couldn’t do it. And he still wanted more, so it was… we didn’t end up doing anything but he still wasn’t happy. But anyway, he broke up with me when I just… wasn’t where he wanted to be, I guess.” She sighed, feeling better that it was out there. “And yeah, that’s what Makeela and Revali knew. That he tried to… you know… do things. And I cried with Revali after, and he told me it was okay, and now… he’s <em>friends</em> with Rav? I can’t even… it makes me sick.”</p>
<p>Link reached out, brushing the back of his hand against hers. “You okay?”</p>
<p>She could feel her head nodding, but she could also feel her eyes stinging. “Yeah. I just don’t want to scare you off because I really like you.”</p>
<p>“Zelda, please, do you <em>really</em> think I wouldn’t want to be with you because of <em>that</em>? I’d want to be with you even if we were in giant bubbles and could never touch again. And… yeah, I definitely wouldn’t say no if you wanted to… do more… but I’m not with you for that. I’d never do what he did to you. Like, I’m serious. You know that, right?”</p>
<p>“I do,” she said, nodding. “You’re <em>not</em> Ravio.”</p>
<p>Link chuckled. “Thank fuck.” But he let out a deep breath. “I wish there was something I could do. Or that we’d been friends then. Because I’d kill him for you, if you wanted. I <em>am </em>a criminal. He missed out on a great person, but his loss is my gain. I might not have had the guts to talk to you if you were with him. I mean, look at you; <em>you, </em>a beautiful, popular, funny, smart person decided to take a chance with a juvenile delinquent, smoker, motorcycle-driving, panicked mess of a guy with a trash home life and more baggage than he could carry on his own. I’ve never been more grateful that you let me into your life. He’s a fool for ever…” Link chuckled humorlessly, this time, running a hand through his hair. “You deserved more than him.”</p>
<p>Link offered her a lighthearted smile; Zelda couldn’t see his carefully hidden <em>genuine</em> hurt for her. Because he could remember the influence others could hold, and the things it could do to mess with your mind. And Zelda…  she deserved so much more than <em>that</em> jackass in her memories.</p>
<p>“I’ve got <em>you</em>,” Zelda said, smiling just because gods, he could make her smile. “You’re so much more.”</p>
<p>He looked over at her, almost sheepish. “I’ll always try, anyway.”</p>
<p>“Me too,” she agreed. Pushing some of the hair from her face, Zelda tugged on the necklace she was wearing. “Okay, that’s me. That’s my story. Tell me about you. Have you slept with a hundred strippers from your motorcycle club? I mean, you <em>did </em>tell me you were a phone sex operator, remember?”</p>
<p>Link scoffed, remembering his joke when they’d first started talking. “You watch way too much television, Princess.” He shook his head. “No, actually. Remember when I told you about my past? I had some assholes I was trying to impress. So, I did some stupid things. A combination of stupid things, I guess. I was told stories by older guys who left details out as one does. But being a kid, that was all I heard, and I wanted to tell stories too because that’s what cool asshats do. I hooked up with my then-girlfriend one time. It fucking sucked. You throw two ill-prepared thirteen-year-olds into a room and it’s not going to be pretty. So, yeah, I have about five more minutes’ worth of personal experience in that area than you do. Plus, jail put a hard stop on my social life.”</p>
<p>Zelda bit back a grin. Because gods, he said everything so effortlessly. And she could talk to him so easily, too. It wasn’t <em>hard</em> to tell him anything, it was hard to find the <em>words</em>. She almost wished she’d signed it all to him instead.</p>
<p>“You know what I can do?” Link said after a while. Zelda looked at him curiously when he offered her his hand. She took it, narrowing her eyes playfully. “I can cook something for you.”</p>
<p>Zelda laughed as he pulled her off the couch. “Oh no, not without my help. I saw that weird thing you did at your house with the pasta. Who does that? Nope, you’ve lost my trust alone in the kitchen.”</p>
<p>“Fine, I accept your challenge. I’ll prove you wrong.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Link pulled open a cabinet and slid some garlic salt over to Zelda. She caught it and poured some onto her steak before tossing it back at Link. He caught it and added some to the grilled greens they had on the other burner before putting it back.</p>
<p>That was how they cooked.</p>
<p>It wasn’t the first time that they’d helped the other in the kitchen, and it hadn’t taken long to figure out how the other worked. They both preferred Zelda’s kitchen, being bigger and having more to work with. Zelda usually had her phone near her, a suggestion of a recipe within reach that she could draw from or ignore as she pleased, but Link was the opposite. He enjoyed throwing things together and learning from his experiments of failed and successful combinations.</p>
<p>Though, Link followed the instructions to a T when it came to unique dishes, or things he’d never done before. Like when he had found an ice cream machine earlier, and they wasted no time getting everything together and into the freezer.</p>
<p>The steaks sizzled for a while, leaving Link and Zelda lounging together against the corner counter as they watched an amusing video on her phone, chuckling together every once in a while.</p>
<p>When it ended, they tended to the food before returning to their places.</p>
<p>“You know,” Zelda said, thinking about the video, “<em>My</em> secret skill is that I can juggle.”</p>
<p>Link urged her away from him with a smile. “Now you need to show me.”</p>
<p>She grabbed three apples from a basket and started to juggle them without looking. Then she lightly tossed one at Link, which hit him in the chest, though he caught it just before it hit the floor.</p>
<p>They laughed again, which was what they spent most of the night doing.</p>
<p>Zelda demanded to know one of Link’s hidden talents, one that not many people knew, and he admitted that he could quickly solve a Rubik’s cube, which didn’t surprise her in the slightest. She just wished she had one, but he assured her that he did at his house and he’d show her next time.</p>
<p>They ate at the island counter in the kitchen, watching a different set of videos on her phone, judging the people in them as they tried not to choke on their food while laughing and talking as they watched.</p>
<p>And when they were done, Zelda sat on one end of the couch while Link dug through his backpack and pulled out a small, thin, square object wrapped in a brown paper bag that had been cut up, but had sharpie drawings doodled all along it.</p>
<p>Zelda took the gift and made a face. “I told you not to buy anything. Did you buy whatever this is?”</p>
<p>Link took the opposite side of the couch and kicked her leg as he stretched out. “Just open it, okay?”</p>
<p>She smiled as she looked at the scribblings and carefully peeled the tape off so she didn’t destroy the drawings.</p>
<p>And her mouth dropped.</p>
<p>“What!” she gasped, running her hand along the plastic case. She started to giggle to herself excitedly as her hand went along the plastic again. “How much did this cost you?”</p>
<p>Link sat back with a smug look on his face. “Only $5.99.”</p>
<p>“Not possible,” she muttered, staring down at her favorite CD by the Indigo-Go’s, their second album, old now and cheap enough that Zelda owned three—and now four—copies of it. But not only was it her <em>favorite</em> but written in silver sharpie all along the inner booklet were the signatures of three of the five members of the band. “Link,” she said again, finally looking up at him. “How much was this?”</p>
<p>“I’m not lying to you,” he chuckled. “I have my ways.”</p>
<p>“What ways? This is… I can’t even believe I’m holding this,” she asked, flipping it over in her hands and clutching it to her chest as if someone were trying to take it from her.</p>
<p>“Colin’s best friend lives in Termina. We just asked if he’d go to their signing at a local music shop, and he sent us the CD after. Lulu and Japas weren’t there, but now you have a collection to finish one day.”</p>
<p>Zelda gingerly set it down on the coffee table before throwing her arms around Link, holding him tight. Link tried to sit up, but she had him pinned, so he gave up and just returned her embrace.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she whispered, unable to explain just how much the gift meant to her in any other words.</p>
<p>But he seemed to understand. He always understood.</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Oh please, darling, we aren’t going to eat <em>him</em> for dinner.”</p><p> Zelda cringed at her mother. “You are. It’s just going to be metaphorical. Ask him if he likes me and if he says yes, tell him he can leave.”</p><p>Ramus groaned on the couch. “We took work off for this. Let us do what we want, Zelda.”</p><p>“You didn’t take work off, you switched shifts,” she muttered, fixing her hair again, fixing her dress…again, fixing the couch cushions <em>again</em>.</p><p>“Stop it, Zelda!” her mother hissed. “You are making <em>me </em>nervous.”</p><p>Zelda sat at the kitchen table and pulled out her phone, playing a game while she attempted to take her mind off everything.</p><p>It was a week since her birthday and a Friday, so she felt the relief of not needing to do her homework. Link had gone to work, gone home to get ready and change, then was coming over. And he’d already texted her that he was on his way. It was a waiting game. And Zelda was losing.</p><p>She nearly jumped out of her skin when her phone vibrated. “<em>Am I allowed to kiss you hello? Or should I just give you a handshake too</em>?”</p><p>“Oh gods,” she muttered, unsure of the answer. “<em>If I don’t answer the door</em>, m<em>aybe stick with a hug</em>?”</p><p>She stood up and ran her hands through her hair again before sitting back on the couch with her parents. “Do you have any questions before he gets here?”</p><p>“Nothing I won’t ask him,” Ramus muttered.</p><p>Arina looked up from her phone. “You said you told him not to bring anything, right? I don’t need to find a vase?”</p><p>“No, I <em>begged</em> him not to bring anything.”</p><p>“Zelda, please don’t be dramatic.”</p><p>She shrugged. She’d been a good mediator so far, from expressing to Link her parents disinterest in plants that needed to be kept alive, to admitting to her parents that Link wasn’t just someone she was dating, so they had to try their best to stay off their phones for her sake. She’d tried to subtly ask them not to bring up things like finances, past, or family, but she was positive that would go ignored.</p><p>“How… how would you feel if I gave him a quick hello kiss?”</p><p>Arina turned to her daughter. “Why would we mind that?”</p><p>“I don’t know.”</p><p>“You have told us several times that you’re dating and that he’s your boyfriend. I’d have been more surprised if you didn’t.”</p><p>Ramus stood from the couch. “You’re our child. I don’t want to see you two making out.”</p><p>“I would never!” Zelda gasped, mildly mortified at the thought of being caught making out with Link, let alone greeting him that way… well… greeting him that way in front of her parents.</p><p>There was an echo of a car door closing too close by, and Zelda sprinted onto the porch, ignoring her mother’s chastising voice behind her and met Link where he was getting out of Aryll’s car. Smart move to leave the motorcycle for another day.</p><p>Link chuckled when he saw her and kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful. And nervous. Calm down.”</p><p>He was wearing the same thing he’d borrowed from Gabe for Homecoming, but without the tie. And thankfully, he’d listened to Zelda and hadn’t brought any gifts.</p><p>“I can’t calm down. Is my mom at the door?”</p><p>Link glanced up and hummed an affirmative, smiling at her as he did.</p><p>He let Zelda lead the way before he was inside the house and officially meeting Zelda’s parents.</p><p>“Mom, this is Link. My boyfriend. Who I am dating—” Link had to hold back a chuckle as Zelda continued. “And Link, this is my mom.”</p><p>Arina held out her hand, and Link took it, feeling her other hand clasp his, so she had him in a firmly trapped grip. “Link. A pleasure to meet you <em>officially</em>.”</p><p>“You as well, Mrs. Harkinian.”</p><p>Ramus strode over, slow and deliberate before holding his hand out as well. “It’s our fellow tradesman again. Good to see you again.”</p><p>Link firmly shook his hand. “How is that key fob doing, Mr. Harkinian?”</p><p>“Works beautifully, thank you.”</p><p>“Come in, Link,” Arina said as she closed the door behind him. “The food should be done in a few minutes.”</p><p>“Is there anything you need me to help with? The table, a portion of the meal?”</p><p>Arina smiled. “No, thank you. We’re all set up. Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll join you in a moment?”</p><p>Zelda urged Link to the couch, but she went past him to whisper to her mom. “He isn’t one of your clients. You sound like you’re talking to one of them.”</p><p>“I don’t!”</p><p>“You do!”</p><p>“Go sit with him.”</p><p>Zelda rolled her eyes and went to sit beside Link. Her father had ducked into his study, and she could hear him on the phone.</p><p>Link glanced at her and grinned before checking the coast was clear before signing to Zelda. <em>“I’m afraid to touch you.”</em></p><p>Zelda chuckled and put her hand on Link’s leg for a moment before her father returned.</p><p>“Sorry about that,” he muttered quickly. “Brief call. So, where did you two meet?”</p><p>“In school, Dad,” Zelda breathed. “I told you that.”</p><p>“Right, you did. So, Link, you work in repair. Is that where you see yourself in a few years?”</p><p>Link adjusted himself on the couch before answering, his hands clasped so no one, not even Zelda, could see them shake. “I wouldn’t hate it. The owner where I am now is a good friend. But, ideally, I’d rather be dealing strictly in mechanical or electrical engineering.”</p><p>Ramus nodded to himself as Arina joined them. “So, Link,” she said, taking her own seat. “Have your parents met our Zelda yet?”</p><p>Link wrung his hands together so tightly that his knuckled had gone white. He and Zelda had both prepared for this question. He gave her a quick glance before returning her attention to Arina and Ramus.  </p><p>“I don’t live with my parents. I live with my older sister. But she’s met Zelda, and she loves her.”</p><p>“Oh!” Arina gasped, clearly not expecting that. “I’m not surprised she likes Zelda, but may I ask… why don’t you live with your parents? Are you emancipated?”</p><p>“No, I’m not. My sister is my legal guardian. My parents… they’re both entirely out of the picture.”</p><p>“No grandparents?”</p><p>“Mom!”</p><p>“No,” Link said calmly. “It’s just my sister and I.”</p><p>“Oh,” she said again. “Well, what does she do, then?”</p><p>Clasping his hands together harder, Link cleared his throat. “She’s in school. She’s studying to be a social worker.”</p><p>“That’s lovely,” Arina said, thankfully not asking <em>why </em>that was her goal. “Excuse me while I check the food.”</p><p>“Damn,” Ramus muttered, swiping the screen of his phone as he stood. “Hello?”</p><p>Zelda noticed Link’s white knuckles and ran her hand along the inside of his wrist until her hand was in his. “You’re doing great.” She could feel him shaking hard and gave him a reassuring squeeze.</p><p>“They’re going to ask,” he muttered.</p><p>She wasn’t sure if he was talking about asking for more details about his parents, or about his past, but either way, they’d tried to be prepared for that as well. The truth.</p><p>“Sorry again,” Ramus said, sitting back down. His eyes drifted to where Zelda still had Link’s hand. “Your parents. Did you ever live with them?”</p><p>Link tried to loosen his grip and pull away when he noticed Ramus’ gaze, but Zelda kept her grip until Link settled comfortably back into her hand, despite the shaking. “I did. Until I was fifteen.”</p><p>“What happened then?”</p><p>“Dad, please, can you not assault him with questions?”</p><p>“What? I want to know about him. His parents not being in the picture is not something I thought I’d learn.”</p><p>Link cleared his throat again and took a deep breath. <em>Zelda’s worth it</em>, he reminded himself.</p><p>“My best friend was killed in a car accident that my father caused. And my mother left us years prior. My sister stepped in for me after that.”</p><p>Ramus’ eyes darted to Zelda, almost ashamed that he’d pushed. “Oh, I understand. Your father is incarcerated then?”</p><p>“Yes, sir, he is.”</p><p>“I am sorry that your father was irresponsible enough to end up in jail. It must have been hard on you.”</p><p>“Yes, sir,” Link said, swallowing hard and praying to anyone who was listening that they not stay on the subject of incarceration or the quality of people who’ve been in jail. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold it together through that one.</p><p>“Are you financially compromised?”</p><p>“Dad!” Zelda hissed again. This time, she grabbed Link’s arm. “Don’t answer that, Link. Dad, back off. Would you ever ask anyone else that question?”</p><p>“Zelda, stop. This is my day to ask whatever questions I want. He’s dating you. You’re spending time with him. There are things I want to know.”</p><p>She turned to Link, but he shook his head. “It’s fine.” And then to Ramus, he nodded. “We have government assistance, I have two jobs, and my sister also works, so we are stable.”</p><p>Ramus’ neck twitched at the words ‘government assistance’, but he was otherwise able to remain neutral.</p><p>Arina forced a smile to her face from where she stood and glanced at her phone. “Link, how did you and Zelda become acquainted? Are you also friends with Revalli, Ruto, and Makeela?”</p><p>“Oh, no ma’am. I’m friends with Makeela, but that’s only since Zelda and I have been friends. We first started talking after being partnered in class. From there, we just kept meeting, became friends, and here we are.”</p><p>There was a ding on the stove and Arina headed back into the kitchen. “Ramus, come get this. It’s hot.”</p><p>“Excuse me,” he said again, leaving Link and Zelda on the couch… again.</p><p>“I’m going to pass out,” Zelda muttered, pressing her face into Link’s arm.</p><p>“For real? Or metaphorically?”</p><p>“I don’t even know. I’m sorry, this is horrible.”</p><p>“It’s not,” he whispered, rubbing his hand along her back. “No worse than what I went through when you met Aryll. And at least they’re not giving us any… you know… at least they’re not doing what Gabe did.”</p><p>Zelda snickered and tried to stifle her giddy, nervous laughter into his arm. Link joined her, unable to stop himself.</p><p>When she looked up, she saw her mother watching them. “It’s been some time since I heard that laugh.”</p><p>Without pulling away from Link, Zelda nodded, agreeing. “You could, you know? If you’d come home from work some time.”</p><p>“Zelda, not now. Not in front of a guest.” Arina’s smile faltered and she pulled out her phone again.</p><p>“Yeah,” Zelda muttered.</p><p>“Let’s go. Dinner.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>They headed to the set table and Zelda sat down. Link turned to Arina. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can do?”</p><p>“No, Link, thank you though.”</p><p>He sat across from Zelda, while Ramus and Arina brought out the meal and sat at opposite ends of the long table.</p><p>“Link,” Ramus asked after several moments in blessed silence. “How did you get into fixing phones and cars?”</p><p>Link wasn’t going to correct just how limited that made him sound, but he cleared his throat, still too nervous to avoid the gesture. “My best friend and his family taught me. I just… learned that I really enjoyed it and I kept at it. Started repairing things I found around and kept training with my mentor who owns the job I work at. He’d give me something that was broken and give me a few days to see if I could figure it out.”</p><p>“So, you work well on the spot?”</p><p>“I think I do, yes.”</p><p>Ramus nodded, taking a deliberately long bite of his food before humming. “What about hobbies?”</p><p>Link shook his head for a moment, forgetting what it is that he does for fun. “Oh, um, I exercise, and I play the guitar.”</p><p>Ramus started to belly-laugh. “Well, you’re a better man than me if you consider exercise to be a hobby!”</p><p>“Where do you live, Link?” Arina asked, looking at her phone, though she was moving her finger around like she was looking at a map. “Is it… one of those areas that offers… assistance?”</p><p>“Yes, ma’am. I live right near North Park.”</p><p>“Oh, North Park? And… Zelda has been there? Isn’t that neighborhood… unsafe?”</p><p>“I’ve been there,” Zelda said, offering Link a reprieve. “It’s a really cute apartment and the park was quiet.”</p><p>She glanced at her phone again. “I assume you know that our Zelda is going to school for economics. She has several options all over the world that she’ll have to sort through when the letters come in. Where do you want to go?”</p><p>“I’m hoping to go to the local college in town.”</p><p>“The local…” Arina looked up to Ramus before back at Link. “You aren’t looking to go to a more prestigious school? You’ll surely get more job offers.”</p><p>“Um, I’m looking for a scholarship that’s specifically for this school. It’s not offered elsewhere, so I’m shooting for it.”</p><p>“That’s nice,” Ramus said, shooting Arina a look that warned her to drop it. He glanced at his phone.</p><p>Zelda narrowed her eyes and caught him on a website with large text. Questions. “Why do you want to date my daughter?” was the next one. “Ask about birth control,” was the next one.</p><p>“Mom! Dad!” she balked, standing up. “Can I see you in the kitchen?” She shot Link an apologetic look, but her expression left little room for them to argue. They followed her.</p><p>“Zelda, it’s rude to leave your guest.”</p><p>“You’re using a phone to come up with questions for him? You can’t just talk to him like a person?”</p><p>Ramus put his hand on her shoulder, though she shrugged away. “He’s not who we expected you to bring home. His mother ran away? His father is incarcerated? He’s poor and has two jobs? He’s going to the community college? Zelda, I’m concerned he’s going to hold you back. What if you decide to follow him to that college?”</p><p>“So your real problem is with me? You don’t think I know myself? You don’t think I know how to pick a good guy to be with? You think I’ll drop my future plans for someone who could easily fit into them with me, not derail me?</p><p>“He’s practically a genius, he likes school, he likes learning. He’s good. He’s a good person, and he’s good to <em>me</em>. Those are the questions you should be asking. Do you know why I like him so much? He makes me happy. His personality, the things he says, all of it makes me laugh, and it makes me <em>happy</em>. But you didn’t think to ask that because it’s not on your list. His greatest feature is his strength, mentally. Did you know? He’s been through so much, things you’re thinking bring him down, but they bring him <em>up</em> because he overcame them. All you see is someone who’s doing his best to answer every question in your inquisition. Get off your phones, <em>please</em>! I’m begging you to get off your phones! This means so much to me. <em>He </em>means so much to me.”</p><p>Zelda wiped at her eye and went back to the table, letting out a deep breath. “<em>They’re using their phones to search for questions to ask you. I told them to stop</em>,” she signed quickly.</p><p>Link made a face. <em>“They’re nervous, too.”</em></p><p>“You’re too good,” she muttered aloud before they joined the room once again, making a show of placing their phones far away from the table. If nothing else, Zelda appreciated that.</p><p>“Link,” Arina said in her most polite voice, though it was shaking, unprepared and winging it for the first time possibly in all her life. “Y-you play guitar? What… what music do you like?”</p><p>“Um, Zelda and I have similar taste, actually. My favorite band is the Indigo-Go’s.”</p><p>“Oh, she went to that concert a few months ago.”</p><p>“I heard. I was incredibly jealous, but she showed me some videos she took.”</p><p>And for the first time that night, there was a break in the interrogation into Link. And he took that moment to breathe, but also to learn. “Are either of you interested in music as well?”</p><p>Ramus chuckled. “You know the original Indigo-Go’s? Arina and I first met when she was buying their album at my workplace. Years before we started dating, but we do both remember that day.”</p><p>“If you don’t mind my asking, when did you two… start dating?”</p><p>“Oh, our late twenties? We ended up working at the same firm as competing interns. Only one of us could advance from the program and the other would be released.”</p><p>“Who won?”</p><p>Arina took over the story now. “Neither of us. We both quit before it could be announced so it would never impact our relationship. But the company was so upset that they were going to lose us both, that both of us were given positions in different branches. And here we are.”</p><p>The rest of dinner continued with that casual back and forth, less a one-sided assault, and more of a conversation. Zelda nodded her thanks to them, letting them check their phones in peace while she and Link cleaned the pans before putting them into the dishwasher.</p><p>“Not too bad,” Link whispered, looking at her closely. “You feeling better now?”</p><p>“A little,” she admitted.</p><p>But then she felt a light splash, and a large bubble was on her nose.</p><p>Turning to Link, she made a face, trying not to laugh at his humored set of his mouth. Innocently grabbing a cloth, she wiped it along her face before tossing a handful of suds from the sink at him. They didn’t go far and mostly landed on his arm or simply floated to the ground.</p><p>With a playfully threatening expression, Link turned the faucet on, his hand hovering near the stream of water.</p><p>Stretching lazily, Zelda put her hand near the kitchen sink sprayer, aiming it in Link’s direction. “Try me, Link.”</p><p>“If I wasn’t here trying to make a good impression, I would try you. Watch how fast I can get that aimed at you.”</p><p>“Another day then,” she laughed, letting go and putting the pan into the dishwasher.</p><p>“Achoo!” he said, miming the action with his hand, flicking a decent amount of water at her. It splattered her face.</p><p>“Oh! You want to go now?” she chuckled, flipping her hand through the stream.</p><p>Link grabbed the towel and covered his face, missing about half of her water splash. He threw the towel at her before hurrying to grab her hand from the water, threading his fingers through hers so she couldn’t go for a second water strike. “Stuck now.”</p><p>She kissed him, perhaps with a little more vigor than she’d intended initially.</p><p>Link broke the kiss and picked up the towel, letting go of her hand and wiping his dry. “I’m trying to be good. You’re making it hard.”</p><p>She flashed him a grin before giggling and grabbing the next dish.</p><p>And all the while, neither of them noticed Ramus and Arina watching from a distance in the hallway.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so this is the part where I'm supposed to switch back to daily updates, but I'm really enjoying this every other day/ every two days kind of schedule for right now! I also started working on another fic that I might end up posting eventually, so this gives me time to not only do legit work-work, but also work on some of the other fics I have going. So, in short, I'm going to stick with this every other day(ish) thing for now!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda adjusted her skirt before sitting in the chair.</p>
<p>“There is no use, Ms. Harkinian,” Mrs. Joy said, giving her a thorough once-over. “I have warned you. I have told you to follow the dress code. I have implored you to see reason.”</p>
<p>There was a knock on the door.</p>
<p>Mrs. Joy opened it, and was met by the imposing figure of Ramus Harkinian.</p>
<p>“Please, sit down,” Mrs. Joy said, gesturing to the seat.</p>
<p>“What did you do?” he muttered to his daughter, low and uncompromising. “Do you think I have time for this?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t <em>ask</em> her to call you here,” Zelda hissed back.</p>
<p>“We have to have a talk at home about a few things, and <em>this</em> is coming up? Taking me away from my job so that we can eat. This is unacceptable, Zelda. I thought you were better than getting into enough trouble that I would be summoned to the office.”</p>
<p>“You don’t even know what it’s about!”</p>
<p>Mrs. Joy cleared her throat. “Mr. Harkinian, your daughter has been in several violations of the dress code this year so far, and she’s done it again. She is currently wearing black leggings as opposed to the required black tights. And not only has she violated the dress code <em>again</em>, but she’s also begun a petition which has recently reached my desk, thankfully before it could be passed around. She’s looking to abolish the dress code in its entirety.”</p>
<p>“What? No I’m not! I’m trying to make it more relaxed so we can be comfortable while we’re learning rather than worrying if our skirt is too short on our tall legs!”</p>
<p>“Zelda Harkinian!” her father boomed, standing up at a towering height over her small, sitting-down frame. “You do not talk back to an adult, an authority figure, or anyone, for that matter. Apologize.”</p>
<p>“Sorry,” she muttered, insincere.</p>
<p>“Is that <em>boy</em> influencing you in a negative way? Encouraging your disrespect of authority?”</p>
<p>“What!” Zelda balked, standing up herself this time.</p>
<p>“What boy?” Mrs. Joy asked, leaning forward with interest.</p>
<p>“Link Hunter,” Ramus muttered, ensuring that Zelda’s way to the door was blocked. “Are you aware of that boy’s past? That one of your students is a criminal?”</p>
<p>Zelda’s mouth dropped as she leaned against the wall, completely stunned.</p>
<p>“Our school is aware of Mr. Hunter’s past. He has been vetted by several social workers, one of whom we work very closely with here at the school to ensure his continued upward trend in behavior. Has he done something of particular note I should be aware of?”</p>
<p>“He’s dating my daughter!” He spun on Zelda. “Did you know?”</p>
<p>“Yes, I knew! I know everything! He didn’t hide it from me! And isn’t that confidential? He’s a minor! How did you figure that out?”</p>
<p>“I asked someone to do a background check on my daughter’s boyfriend because <em>clearly</em> she will keep important information from me!”</p>
<p>“It’s not important! Not in that way! You didn’t need to know the <em>first day </em>you were meeting him as my boyfriend!”</p>
<p>“You think I didn’t need to know that I left a thief unsupervised in my house?”</p>
<p>Zelda turned to Mrs. Joy, desperate and on the verge of hot tears, <em>begging</em> for any sort of help from the only other voice in the room.</p>
<p>And by the grace of the gods, she offered what little she could. “Mr. Harkinian, I can say that Mr. Hunter is one of the top students here. He’s caused few problems since he transferred here.”</p>
<p>Despite her attempt, Ramus heard nothing. “You know you can’t see him, Zelda.”</p>
<p>But this, Zelda was prepared for. Her great panic attack before dinner the last week had given her this answer. “I’m eighteen. You can’t stop me.”</p>
<p>“You live in my house under <em>my </em>rules.”</p>
<p>“Well then I’ll leave and just go live with the criminal you’re so afraid of.”</p>
<p>“Your mother and I will disown you.”</p>
<p>“You wouldn’t. I know both of you better than you know me!”</p>
<p>“Go home, Zelda! We’ll talk later tonight.”</p>
<p>“I have rehearsal tonight, which you’d know if you paid attention to my schedule half as much as I have to pay attention to yours!”</p>
<p>Ramus scowled, only maintaining his temper because of Mrs. Joy’s presence. “Fine. We’ll talk when you return from your rehearsal. I have to get back to work.”</p>
<p>Ramus left Zelda alone with Mrs. Joy as the tears finally slipped over the edge of her eyes. “May I go now?” she asked, stifling a sob. Her tears were a mix of rage and embarrassment.</p>
<p>“Yes. Don’t wear leggings tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“No, I won’t,” she promised with a frown.</p>
<p>Zelda burst into the hall, grateful that the majority of people had already gone home for the day, and she stumbled along the wall and into the bathroom where she sank to the ground and let out a broken sob that she tried to cover with her hand.</p>
<p>She fumbled in the pocket of her back pack and pulled out her phone, fishing for either Link or Makeela’s number. She didn’t even care which one she called, she just needed <em>one of them</em>. Her thumb hit the screen and she had it to her ear, her horror and pain burning, making her chest physically hurt and causing another sob to escape, much faster and shallower. And once that one was out, it all came out.</p>
<p> Her father had breached not only Link’s privacy, but hers. She was competent enough to judge Link for herself. It was like <em>he </em>as a person didn’t matter, just the things he did when he was about thirteen.</p>
<p><em>Thirteen</em>.</p>
<p>He was just days short of his <em>eighteenth</em> birthday. Surely, she couldn’t be the only person in the entire whole world who could see Link as someone other than a criminal?</p>
<p>“Zelda?” his voice asked in her ear. Like it hadn’t been the first time.</p>
<p>And then her petition? Made to sound like she was trying to <em>abolish</em> the uniform? The only one who had her petition was Revali.</p>
<p>“Hey, Zelda, talk to me,” Link’s voice said, more urgently. She could hear that she was sniffling, but she couldn’t bring her voice to work.</p>
<p>
  <em>What did you do? Do you think I have time for this? </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Go home, Zelda!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Your mother and I will disown you.</em>
</p>
<p>“Zelda. Do you need me to come get you from somewhere? Are you hurt? Please, say something!”</p>
<p>“I…” She had to cover her mouth again to stop a sob.</p>
<p>“I’m coming to get you, okay? Are you still at school?”</p>
<p>“No,” she choked out, half a sob by accident.</p>
<p>
  <em>There is no use, Ms. Harkinian… I have implored you to see reason.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Your daughter has been in several violations of the dress code this year so far, and she’s done it again. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Don’t wear leggings tomorrow.</em>
</p>
<p>“Zelda, just tell me if you’re physically hurt, please.”</p>
<p>“No,” she said, calmer, but not quite composed. “I’m sorry. You’re at work. I shouldn’t have called.” Her voice broke several times in that short sentence.</p>
<p>“No, don’t worry. Just stay on the phone with me, okay? You don’t need to talk, but you can.”</p>
<p>His <em>kindness,</em> that <em>voice…</em> it made her cry harder. <em>That </em>was the evil criminal her father was trying to keep her from.</p>
<p>“You might want to go outside for air,” Link said into the phone before staying silent.</p>
<p>Zelda agreed and went to sit on the railing, trying to compose herself for a long time. Link stayed on the other end, soundless, but there.</p>
<p>She didn’t know how long she sat there, but she had an inkling that it had been <em>awhile</em> when a familiar car pulled up, and Gabe, of all people, stepped out, switching seats with someone she recognized from the shop.</p>
<p>“Link?” she asked into the phone. “Did you send Gabe?”</p>
<p>“No, is that where he went? He’s with you? At school?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>Gabe strode towards her, shaking his head. “Sorry, Zelda, but Link looked ready to have a heart attack. I had to make sure you weren’t hurt or anything.”</p>
<p>“I’m okay,” she said to him. And into the phone: “Link, can I call you later?”</p>
<p>“Of course. Don’t hesitate. Any time.”</p>
<p>She hung up and peered over to where Gabe stood. “My dad found out about Link’s record. Told me he’d disown me if I didn’t break up with Link. I was sabotaged by one of my former friends, and I just feel… I don’t even know. I know I feel horrible for Link. My dad…”</p>
<p>“Think about it, Zelda. You have a daughter, and you just learned—without any details—that she’s dating someone who’s been to jail. Would you be concerned?”</p>
<p>“I… but he’s met Link before.”</p>
<p>“That’s not the question. If <em>you </em>had a record, I’d grill Link like he was a sirloin on the stove to make sure he’d thought it all through. Would I ever threaten to disown him? No. And for that, I’m sorry. But on a basic level, your father is scared for you.</p>
<p>“When Pipit was younger, he couldn’t drive. He has a special car now, one with lights to tell him when there’s noise, but he didn’t have that at first. And I kept distracting him to make sure he was safe, but little did I realize the damage I was doing by taking his mind and eyes off the road and his dashboard. Sometimes, our best intentions can become dangerous. Link’s have. Even after he got out, he tried to bring necessities home, so he stole, even knowing the consequences.”</p>
<p>Gabe gestured to the school. “Want me to go talk to someone so your dad doesn’t have to?”</p>
<p>“No, that’s okay.” Zelda wiped a tear away and took a deep breath.</p>
<p>“You can come to the garage anytime you need me, or Link, or Pipit, or just a place to go for a few hours. I’m sure Link wouldn’t mind the company. And I don’t mind you being there. Okay?”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>“And Zelda,” he said, starting to walk back towards the car. “Don’t let anyone sabotage you. You control your life, no one else. In the end, it’s not your parents, it’s not me, it’s not Link, or your friends, or your boss. It’s you. It’ll hurt. That’s never <em>not </em>going to hurt. But you will come out stronger, okay?”</p>
<p>“Okay,” she said once again.</p>
<p>“Do you need a ride? I can drive your car, bring you home, I don’t know… bring you to the shop?”</p>
<p>“No, thank you. I think I’m going to go to my friend’s house.”</p>
<p>“I’m glad you’re not injured. But I’m sorry to know you’re hurt. I’ll fill Link in, if you want?”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t matter. I’m going to see him at rehearsal in a few hours tonight. He has to fix something in the auditorium. He was volunteered for the job by Ilia, I think.”</p>
<p>“Is he freelancing now?” Gabe laughed. “Good to know. Go have a good time with your friend. And have Link send you my number, just in case you ever need help. Even if something happens with you and Link, I’ll come help you if you need it, okay?”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Gabe,” she said, uncurling her legs and standing, grabbing her phone from her pocket with a much steadier hand. And when Gabe left, she found herself calling Makeela, finding out where she was, and how quickly she could be ready for a visitor.</p><hr/>
<p>Zelda stood in front of the mirror in the dressing room. She was in a nude-colored strapless bra and couldn’t figure out if it was helping or hindering her failed efforts to get her costume corset on.</p>
<p>It was the first day of costuming, and mostly, it was just a fitting and testing to see what needed to change. She’d been fine in her previous costume, one that had been much looser, but now, she was in her ‘working girl’ outfit, and she couldn’t put any shirt on underneath for the dress to look good. She wanted to rip this stupid thing already, but she resisted the urge and felt Ruto come up behind her.</p>
<p>“Let me help, Zelda.”</p>
<p>“T-thank you,” Zelda muttered, feeling Ruto doing up the strings in the back with much more ease than Zelda could. It made the costume fit a thousand times better. “Thank you, Ruto,” Zelda said again.</p>
<p>With a sweet smile, Ruto nodded and spun in her own dress. “Like it?”</p>
<p>“Yeah! It brings out your eyes.”</p>
<p>“Thank you! I think so too!”</p>
<p>Ruto left her in the dressing room without a goodbye, but honestly, it was more than Zelda even expected. She let out a deep breath and fixed the wrinkles in her skirt before grabbing a jacket and heading out into the auditorium, pulling it tightly against her unusually pushed out chest. She saw Link sitting in the audience, surprisingly, with Pipit. The boys were on the stage, all getting their costumes inspected with measuring tape and a clipboard close at hand, so Zelda went to Link.</p>
<p>“Been a while since I’ve seen you here,” she said, signing along for Pipit, despite talking to Link.</p>
<p>Link did the same. “I missed it so much.” But he couldn’t keep his eyes on hers for long as they drifted to her corset, one eyebrow cocking up.</p>
<p>“Link,” she chastised when his eyes lingered a little too long… or at least too long around someone else.</p>
<p>“Sorry, not my fault my girlfriend is hot in a costume.”</p>
<p>“Stop it,” she laughed.</p>
<p>“No way,” he chuckled, though they were sure to keep their voices down. “How many more times will I see you in a dress from the 1800’s?”</p>
<p>“Every show day.”</p>
<p>Pipit had grabbed his phone, disinterested in their conversation, so they stopped signing for him.</p>
<p>Link held out his hand, which Zelda took, and he lightly pulled her towards him, a silent invitation.</p>
<p>She smoothed her dress and sat on Link’s lap, slightly uncomfortable from the small space and hard metal, she leaned heavily against him to try to keep off it. One of his arms was around her back, the other held her legs and kept her from sliding. She wrapped her arms around his neck.</p>
<p>“So, did Gabe tell you?” she asked, now realizing exactly why he was so willing to be publicly affectionate.</p>
<p>He nodded and glanced at Pipit before returning his attention to Zelda. “Don’t lose your parents over me, okay? If they don’t want me around, I respect that.”</p>
<p>“Do you respect what <em>I </em>want? Because I want you around.”</p>
<p>He shrugged, trying out a playful grin. “That’s what happens when you’re an underage boy dating a cougar. You listen to the parents.”</p>
<p>“Did you just call me a cougar? I hate you,” she laughed, a little too loudly.</p>
<p>“You’re a legal adult, and I am humbly still a child in the eyes of the law. I’m dating an older woman. That’s a cougar.”</p>
<p>She had to muffle her laugh into his shoulder, feeling him shake with a laugh all his own. Only pulling away when she knew she wouldn’t disrupt the fittings, she ran her chilly nose along his jaw before pressing a kiss just below his ear. “How do you make me smile when I want to scream?”</p>
<p>“You do it for me.”</p>
<p>“Oh please. When?”</p>
<p>He scoffed. “Try the first two and a half months of our two-and-a-half-month relationship with each other.”</p>
<p>“Is that all it’s been?” she laughed again.</p>
<p>“I think so, yeah.”</p>
<p>“Weird,” she muttered. “It almost feels like it’s been a few lifetimes.”</p>
<p>“It does, doesn’t it?”</p>
<p>“Okay! Next group!” Mr. Ezlo called. “Link, would you come over too?”</p>
<p>Zelda slid off of Link, who hit Pipit and ushered him to follow.</p>
<p>When she passed Revali, Zelda made a face. “Think this passes uniform regulations?” she asked, her nose up with whatever pride she could muster.</p>
<p>Revali looked her over slowly, much to Link’s annoyance, and shook his head. “What uniforms? I thought you were trying to get rid of them.”</p>
<p>Zelda crossed her arms, covering herself. “I knew it was you.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know what you mean,” he said, unconvincingly taking off his costume layers before heading backstage to change back into normal clothes.</p>
<p>Mr. Ezlo looked between everyone and grabbed Link’s shoulder first. “Thank you for coming in.” He pulled a black wire from his pocket, frayed and severed. “I don’t know what happened.”</p>
<p>Link grimaced and handed it to Pipit. “Do you have wire cutters, pliers, electrical tape, and a flashlight?”</p>
<p>“You already know what to do? Ilia said you were smart…”</p>
<p>“Ilia likes to talk people up.”</p>
<p>“Toolbox is over there; just grab what you need and go to town.”</p>
<p>Link translated for Pipit as they walked over to the tools, leaving Zelda and the other girls in their costumes to be poked and prodded at.</p>
<p>Ruto smiled at her when it was her turn. And Zelda couldn’t see Revali. Link and Pipit were under a switchboard. The play was almost over; just a few more weeks and she’d be free of Revali.</p>
<p>And Zelda couldn’t help but hope that maybe things were going to turn around.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Everyone was guessing Revali would reveal it to them, but honestly, this man is connected! He'd totally find out on his own! But Revali knows how to mess everything up in his own special way! So yeah, Zelda's not having a good day.</p>
<p>BUT ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE: EnduraCarrotChips drew art for this fic and it's GORGEOUS and I spent like 20minutes ranting about how much I loved all of it in a comment in the last chapter and asked if I could put it here where it's more obvious and you should totally go check them out because &lt;3&lt;3&lt;3 And also Goron Donuts feature in here. And we all know those donuts are what we're really all at this fic for!! The original posts got deleted, but you can still see the art from my reblog of it. I don't understand how that works, but I'll replace these links if the old non-reblog link ever works again.<br/>https://deiliamedlini.tumblr.com/post/629520508329902080<br/>https://deiliamedlini.tumblr.com/post/629520533622489088</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Chapter 30</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Every Wednesday, Zelda’s math teacher would say “Happy Hump Day” and then laugh to himself before starting the class with a review. This particular Wednesday had everyone on edge because Monday was a professional day off, so teachers were cramming the remnants of knowledge into their students for tests and quizzes on Friday. It was like a miniature vacation that ended out the month and signaled a transition into midterm prep.</p>
<p>That day, Zelda intentionally flubbed her ASL presentation, and she hastily finished her practice chemistry quiz for the big one on Friday, beating even Link—with a triumphant smirk in his direction for good measure.</p>
<p>It was a study day, not gym, so Zelda sat with Link, splitting the class between getting all their homework done, and playing several games of tic-tac-toe, which Zelda amusingly found that Link couldn’t win no matter how many rounds they played.</p>
<p>She’d even caught Mrs. Joy’s attention in the hall, a shocked look cast over her face when she saw Zelda.</p>
<p>“Ms. Harkinian?”</p>
<p>Zelda looked over and put her hands into her pockets… her uniform <em>pants</em> pockets.</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>Mrs. Joy looked like she was going to say something more, but she shook her head. Nothing against the dress code, just a surprise. A change that she hadn’t expected at all. Zelda hadn’t even realized she still owned the uniform pants that she hadn’t worn since sophomore year.</p>
<p>“Nothing; never mind. Have a good lunch.”</p>
<p>It had been a good day.</p>
<p>And then lunch came around.</p>
<p>Zelda and Makeela were loitering near Zelda’s books, while Link and Ilia were at her locker, Link like a butler with all Ilia’s things. The four of them met up and went to the table, sat down, and had their lunch.</p>
<p>It was normal. It was <em>fun</em>, even.</p>
<p>Until Zelda’s phone buzzed across the table. She grabbed it, hesitant at the unknown number that flashed across the screen, and quickly swiped open the text.</p>
<p>And she nearly dropped the phone as quickly as she picked it up.</p>
<p>“Zelda?” Makeela asked, her eyes darting quickly to the phone and her face. “Do you need a pill? Water? What just happened?”</p>
<p>Zelda’s hand covered her mouth, unable to speak.</p>
<p>“Zelda! Are your parents okay? Did someone die?”</p>
<p>She shook her head and pushed her phone toward Makeela, who hastily unlocked it.</p>
<p>Link and Ilia watched like Makeela was a show on television. A horror show. Her mouth dropped, and she immediately scanned the cafeteria, standing up so she could get a better look. Zelda pulled her back down.</p>
<p>“What is it?” Ilia asked. Link’s attention was on Zelda.</p>
<p>Makeela glanced at Zelda first, silently asking for permission to hand the phone over. Ilia took it when she nodded, and she held it so she and Link could see.</p>
<p>It was a picture of Zelda in the dressing room last night at rehearsal, just a bra and some tights with spandex shorts over them, holding the costume corset in her hands. And below it:</p>
<p>
  <em>Break up with your boyfriend during lunch or this goes out to everyone in our phones.</em>
</p>
<p>“What the fuck?” Link spun around, looking for Revali, but all he could see was Ruto and Ravio. And they were watching Zelda with smug expressions plastered on their faces. He could feel Ilia’s hand on his arm, stopping him before his brain could even register ‘get up.’</p>
<p>“Zelda,” he said, letting go of the phone like it were physically injuring him. “It’s okay. Just do it. Don’t even worry about me. Just do it and then we’ll fix this.”</p>
<p>“No,” she muttered, though it was a bit strangled as she wiped a tear away.</p>
<p>Link ran a hand through his hair and had to physically grab the edge of the table to restrain himself from doing <em>anything</em>. He couldn’t comfort her; if he did, he’d break and storm over to the nearby table. Everything screamed that he wanted to put Ravio straight through it. But he couldn’t storm over to the table; he’d very publicly assault someone if he did. He had to do <em>nothing. </em>And it was far more difficult than he thought.</p>
<p>“Zel, I’ll go over your house right after school. It doesn’t’ need to be real. Just… you can do it just stop this picture from going out.”</p>
<p>Ilia put a hand on his shoulder when she saw his vice grip on the edge of the table.</p>
<p>Zelda was just short of hyperventilating the longer she stared at the phone, so she grabbed it, locked it, and put it in her pocket. “Stand up, Link,” she managed.</p>
<p>Shakily, he rose up, facing her, hands in his pockets, as mentally prepared as he could be.</p>
<p>But not <em>quite</em> prepared enough, it seemed, when he found her lips hard against his, holding little back despite their audience.</p>
<p>His hand hurriedly went to her waist, initially to push her off of him, for her own sake, but he felt her tear on his cheek and lost another fraction of the control he was trying to hold on to, grabbing her too tightly as he held her close, his fingers digging into her side just too roughly, though she didn’t complain.</p>
<p>She finally pulled away and let out a breath that was shallow as another tear fell. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words caught in her throat and it came out as a sob; she blocked her nose to stop the sound. After blinking several times, Zelda shook her head, refusing to say anything. Then she turned defiantly to where Ruto and Ravio were watching with abhorrently surprised faces, fully expecting something else. Zelda met their stares with everything she could manage, no matter the burning shame, and the flaming rage she was feeling. But worst of all was the embarrassment that was mixed with disappointing sadness. She’d thought Ruto had begun to turn around. She’d thought Ravio had forgotten about her. She’d thought Revali had been her friend. But none of it was true. And she felt stupid for believing any of it.</p>
<p>“I just can’t be in here when it happens,” she gasped, pulling Makeela with her out of the cafeteria, leaving Link and Ilia stunned in place.</p>
<p>Ilia recovered first and grabbed Link’s arm, pulling him by the sleeve. “No, no standing here; we’re following them! Let’s go!”</p>
<p>During second lunch, the hallways were always empty. So, when Link saw Revali leaning against his locker, arms crossed and on his phone, more of that carefully cultivated control was torn away.</p>
<p>Link could see Zelda’s gaze bore into him, silent and deadly. And Revali… smirked.</p>
<p>“Nice picture,” he said. Makeela all but lunged at Revali, but Zelda caught her arm and <em>pushed</em> Makeela towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind them.</p>
<p>And that comment was enough to shred the rest of the control Link felt. “Ilia,” he hissed as they neared Revali. “Do me a favor.”</p>
<p>“I’m on it,” she said, not needing him to elaborate, her face burning with her own rage, despite not being incredibly close to Zelda. It was an uncalled for move against anyone, but thanks to Link, it was personal. “Go ahead.”</p>
<p>As they were about to pass Revali and his smug expression, Link grabbed Revali by the collar and dragged him through the doors leading out of the hallway into an empty stairwell before pinning him <em>hard</em> against the wall with the side of his arm.</p>
<p>Ilia stayed in the hallway, grabbing her phone and looking as if she were bored, guarding the door.</p>
<p>“What the fuck, you psychotic criminal?” Revali squawked, managing to just keep his head from slamming into the brick wall.</p>
<p>“Well, I’m not the only one, am I?” Link asked in a cool, threatening voice. The fact that he hadn’t already punched Revali in the face was a testament to his willpower.</p>
<p>“Are you talking about <em>me</em>?” Revali laughed. “Go ahead, punch me. Push me just a little harder. I’ll put your ass back into prison faster than you can call your lawyer.”</p>
<p>Link pushed him into the wall a little harder, earning a choked noise of panic from Revali. “Good. Then I’ll be there to meet you when you join me. And you won’t have any fucking rules to protect you then.”</p>
<p>“What are you talking about?” Revali asked, though his voice shook for a moment, genuinely frightened by whatever he could see in Link’s eyes.</p>
<p>“Are you that dense that you think blackmail and sexual harassment are legal? I only wish I’d get the chance to watch Zelda’s father pay the big bucks to get your scrawny ass thrown in jail. You think he’d spare any expense? He doesn’t want me talking to her, and I haven’t done a damned thing in years. What do you think he’ll do to <em>you</em>? And her mother? Gods, I’d hate to be on the receiving end of that double team. But like you said, I’ll be in jail after this, won’t I? And then you and I can share a cell and you can tell me all about how it went.”</p>
<p>Revali was either incredibly brave, incredibly stupid, or a dangerous combination of the two. “You don’t scare me. Her parents don’t scare me. And <em>she</em> sure as hell doesn’t scare me. You don’t know her, do you? You don’t know what a w—”</p>
<p>Link had many skills. And one of them came from years of anger problems in his youth. He’d perfected the art of not breaking bones in his hand when he hit a wall. Though, in the past it hadn’t been carefully controlled, and the lesson had been learned through a couple of broken bones. And he employed that former skill into the brick just beside Revali’s head, letting his knuckles come back bleeding, but otherwise intact. Revali gasped, his eyes slamming shut, his chest rising and falling at a <em>very</em> rapid pace.</p>
<p>“Finish that thought, and next time, that’ll be you,” Link warned, flashing his bloody hand in front of Revali.</p>
<p>Revali shook, but he managed to open his eyes and keep them level with Link’s. “There’s evidence that you assaulted me now. My lawyers will believe me.”</p>
<p>Link laughed darkly. “Clearly, and though I don’t know how, you’ve never been punched in the face. Show me <em>your</em> bruise, idiot. Show me your broken face, actually, because that’s what that hit would have done to you.”</p>
<p>“Zeld—”</p>
<p>“Be careful what you say next,” Link said, his voice a low grumble. He glanced toward Ilia. She still hadn’t moved, so he knew he had more time.</p>
<p>Revali took a steadying breath. “We were never going to send the picture. Just wanted to see her break up with you in public. You can even look at my phone. None of us sent the picture.”</p>
<p>Link scoffed, pushing him <em>harder still</em> into the wall. “Fucking pervert. It’s just on your phone?” Link heard something from the other side of the wall and stopped talking, letting the broken noise sit between them. It was Zelda in the bathroom, crying.</p>
<p>Revali finally had to look away from Link.</p>
<p>“You know <em>you </em>did that, right?” Link asked, adjusting his grip.</p>
<p>“Ruto took the picture at the costume fitting, not me.”</p>
<p>“I don’t care which of you motherfuckers took the gods-damned picture. <em>You </em>still did that to her.” Link relaxed a little bit, giving Revali a little more physical slack. “You know, she used to defend all of you to me? <em>You</em> especially. She’d talk about how good you were, and that I just met you at the wrong time, or you were just having a bad day because you were so good, and one of her closest friends. <em>She told me</em> about Ravio, and what he’s spreading around, so if that’s the message that’s going to be getting around with this picture, I think it’s time <em>you </em>stop it. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Zelda, it’s that she sees the good in people when no one else does. Like me. Like you at one point. So <em>you</em>fix this mess, and prove that you’re even remotely worth the credit she gave you, or next time, you and I won’t be talking at school. Okay?”</p>
<p>“Fuck you,” Revali muttered, weak and without vigor. It was simply a reply.</p>
<p>Link tightened his grip one more time, leaning in so he could whisper, low, threatening, nearly a growl. “She means the world to me, so if you fuck with her one more time, <em>we</em> <em>will</em> have real problems. She’s strong enough to deal with your bullshit, but I’m not, so don’t test my patience again. You can’t even get away from this wall, so you know which of us will win. Why don’t you go talk to your friends right now? I think they could use a pep talk from you before I have to give them one.”</p>
<p>“You’re all talk,” Revali muttered, though it was clearly a defense. His voice was shaking, and his eyes were glued to Link’s tense muscles, the fist at his side.</p>
<p>“You don’t know why I was arrested then, do you?” Though Link realized it might have been a little more fun on his end, he cracked his knuckles into Revali’s ear for good measure. “Assault. So go talk to them. And if you can’t get them to back off… I don’t even know what could happen. But I wouldn’t want to find out. And I know I’m not the only one who wants to hurt every one of you. I think I’d have Makeela in my corner. And better yet… Zelda. Because damn, she’s got some pent-up rage. I wonder who caused it?”</p>
<p>“I’m in class. I’ll talk to them after school.”</p>
<p>“No, I don’t think you are in class. You’re with me under a stairwell. And unless you want to be with me in a jailcell, I think you should go stop this from getting out of control.”</p>
<p>There was a knock on the door from Ilia, and Link let go of Revali, pushing away from him.</p>
<p>“You have one shot,” Link warned, taking a step back, letting Revali have a clear line to the door. “Don’t waste it.”</p>
<p>Without looking back at Link, Revali smoothed out his uniform and pushed his way through the doors. Ilia squeezed through before they could close.</p>
<p>“What did you do?”</p>
<p>“Nothing,” Link muttered, hiding his bloody hand. “Mind doing one more favor?”</p>
<p>“Of course not.”</p>
<p>“Check on Zelda?”</p>
<p>Ilia nodded and they both headed into the hallway before Ilia went into the girl’s room. Link waited, watching the hall start to fill with more people coming from lunch to their lockers.</p>
<p>And less than a minute later, Zelda, Makeela, and Ilia came through the door. Zelda crashed into Link, wrapping her arms around him. She wasn’t crying anymore, and she held on to him, clutching at the fabric of his shirt just to have something to hold because she needed something <em>more</em> than just his returning embrace.</p>
<p>"I want to go home," Zelda admitted, looking longingly at the doors. </p>
<p>Link nodded into her. "Want all of us to skip class and eat Frozen Zora's Ice Cream at Dorephan's with you?"</p>
<p>"So specific," Zelda chuckled, letting go but staying close to him. "No, I'm going to stay. I <em>want </em>to go home, but I'm going to stay so they don't think they got to me. I might take you up on that after school though."</p>
<p>“Link!” Makeela balked, seeing his hand.</p>
<p>“What?” Zelda asked, pulling away and following Makeela’s gaze. “Oh gods, what did you do to Revali?”</p>
<p>“I don’t hit him, I swear,” Link said quickly and defensively. "I just had a talk with him.”</p>
<p>“A talk?”</p>
<p>“A very polite talk.”</p>
<p>“Is it a talk you’d have with my parents?”</p>
<p>Link choked out a sound and bit his lip, which earned a small smile from Zelda, a shimmer of life returning to her red, puffy eyes.  </p>
<p>And it was enough to break him in the best possible way.</p>
<p>He caught himself before he could accidently blurt out three words he was almost positive he’d never uttered in his life. Perhaps at one point when he was learning to talk, his mother or father had said them to him and he’d returned them before he knew what they meant. If he’d known then, he’d have stopped himself from wasting such a precious sentiment on people like that. He couldn’t remember ever saying them to his sister, no matter how true they were. Perhaps he should try. But even then, those same words were so different directed at <em>Zelda.</em></p>
<p>He wanted to shake her. She apologized too often, worried about others, and broke her phone more often than a priest broke bread. No matter how hard she tried, she was influenced by the negativity others projected at her. She believed Mrs. Joy, she believed Revali, Ruto, and Ravio. She was stuck in her own head, unable to see the same thing he saw every time he looked at her; formal dress, funny costume, uniform, sweatshirt, makeup, streaked tears, clean-faced, it didn’t matter: she was beautiful. More than that, if he’d never met her in person and never seen a picture, if he’d only ever spoken to her, she was <em>just</em> as beautiful. It wasn’t just her appearance… it was <em>her.</em></p>
<p>She was strong. And despite being affected by others’, she still did what she wanted because she knew herself. And she could read others like a book, always knowing what to say or how to react. She was smart, capable, ambitious, funny, and gods, he wanted to do any and everything for her, with her, around her… he didn’t care. As long as she was there.</p>
<p>And that was why he had to stop the words from spilling out.</p>
<p>It was so foreign but so strong. And in some ways, he wasn’t even sure what it was. How was he to know, if he had nothing to compare it to?</p>
<p>“If you can’t say it to my parents,” she said, interrupting his thoughts, “then it wasn’t polite.” She ran her thumb over one of his knuckles and watched him flinch. “Link… go clean this or something.”</p>
<p>“I’m fine.”</p>
<p>“You’re being an annoying tough guy. Go clean you hand so you don’t die of dysentery or something.”</p>
<p>He made a face, stifling a raucous burst of laughter from spilling over his lips. “Dysentery? You’re joking, right?”</p>
<p>“Listen, Link,” she laughed, pushing him towards the bathroom, “I used to get everyone in my game killed by dysentery, so it’s dangerous. That’s all that matters. Go.”</p>
<p>Part of Link’s chuckle escaped him. “Sending me to the restroom before I die of dysentery. How appropriate.”</p>
<p> He looked quickly at Ilia and Makeela before leaning into Zelda, meeting Zelda’s lips in a kiss. He grabbed Zelda’s waist and spun them so his back was blocking the view of their onlookers. Zelda laughed against him but didn’t pull away, instead, playfully making loud smacking sounds with their lips that had Link laughing this time. He pulled away and placed one more kiss on her temple before pulling her into a tight hug.</p>
<p>“You’re incredible, you know that?” he whispered for only her to hear.</p>
<p>She didn’t have a chance to respond when he ran his clean hand through his hair and gestured down the hall. “Sorry, I have to go clean this so I don’t get <em>dysentery</em>.”</p>
<p>“Don’t make fun of me!” she laughed as he walked backwards down the hall, giving her a very judgmental look. She turned to Makeela and Ilia. “I meant sepsis, didn’t I? Dysentery… I just blurted out, and I had to roll with it.”</p>
<p>Makeela patted her arm. “He reacted well. I can see why you think you love him.”</p>
<p>“Oh wait,” Ilia muttered, as if she were an intruder to the conversation. “What did I miss?”</p>
<p>Zelda shrugged. “I don’t know. Don’t tell him. I… I just don’t know. I feel <em>something</em> that I’ve never felt before. I don’t know if that’s what it is.”</p>
<p>“I’m not going to say a word to him about you,” Ilia promised.</p>
<p>Zelda let out a deep breath and glanced at the door. “I don’t want to be around when everyone else comes back from lunch. I’m just going to go hang outside the classroom and hope no one says anything to me.”</p>
<p>“I haven’t gotten a text, and I’m in their phone,” Makeela said promisingly.</p>
<p>Zelda nodded, not quite relieved. “Good. Then I’ll see you later.”</p>
<p>“Bye,” they both chimed at once.</p>
<p>Then, Makeela turned to Ilia, mind turning rapidly. “Do you know if Link loves Zelda? Like, has he said it?”</p>
<p>Ilia chuckled. “You know, we don’t actually talk about it, but I’m not opposed to putting my detective skills to the test and finding out.”</p>
<p>“Good. You work your magic, and I’ll work mine.”</p>
<p>“What’s your goal?” Ilia asked, looking <em>far</em> too excited for the new tasks.</p>
<p>“I’m going to try to convince her to tell Link, if you give me the go ahead that he’s there too, or I’ll stop her if you say he’s not.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m so on it! You have my number, right? I gave it to you at Zelda’s?”</p>
<p>“Yes, but I haven’t texted you… here,” Makeela said, pulling out her phone. “Hi it’s Makeela,” she muttered as she typed, only to hear Ilia’s phone ding a moment later. “There you go! Text me when you have word.”</p>
<p>“On it, Ace!”</p>
<p>Makeela held out her fist, and Ilia bumped it. “Power team here.”</p>
<p>“You know it!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I am so sorry to anyone who thought Ruto was actually being nice... BUT we also got Link finally snapping! And I don't think he snaps too bad! I don't want to have him start a knife fight or anything, but I think we finally got a little bit of him unable to take much more of Revali's &amp; Co.'s bull! Especially since what they did is, I'm almost 100% positive, ILLEGAL. Correct me if I'm wrong there. But I also remember when I was in high school and someone did this at our rival school, but it was with a picture they actually had to get developed at Walmart. So... the days have changed.</p>
<p>Also... Oregon Trail anyone? Dysentery? Am I the only one who couldn't survive that game?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Chapter 31</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re sure you are cool with this?” Link asked after school ended on Thursday, grabbing her bag for her while they walked.</p>
<p>“Yes, Link,” Zelda said patiently, pretty sure he was far more nervous than she was.</p>
<p>“You don’t want to wait until this weekend?”</p>
<p>“No, Link,” Zelda laughed. “This is the only day I’m positive my parents are staying at the office overnight. I’d have invited you over to take advantage, but I’m perfectly happy at your house. And it’s your birthday, so it’s a ‘your house’ kind of thing. Any more questions?”</p>
<p> “You <em>really </em>want to stay over?”</p>
<p>With an exasperated sigh, Zelda threw her hands up. “Do you want me to go home? I’ll go home if you want!”</p>
<p>“No! No,” Link said quickly, grabbing her hand as they walked. They’d lucked out with his birthday falling on one of the last nights she had free until the end of the show, though they hadn’t been fortunate enough to land on a weekend as well. “I just wanted to be sure.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Zelda scoffed, “almost like you need to check and see if I want to hang out with you alone for hours on end,” she snorted.</p>
<p>Link grinned at her.</p>
<p>“Where do your parents think you’re staying?”</p>
<p>“Makeela. She’s prepared for all questions. We played cards, I lost, and then we rewatched <em>Moonlight Howl </em>and cried. We also decided to order pizza.”</p>
<p>“I should never doubt how prepared you are for something.”</p>
<p>“Never, Link.”</p>
<p>They reached the parking lot and Link handed her the spare helmet. When she grabbed it, she noticed the cuts on the backs of his knuckles, dried but bruised. He’d picked her up that morning and would bring her to school the next morning too so she didn’t have to worry about her car, and tomorrow, Makeela was going to bring her home after school.</p>
<p>He climbed on first, and she slung her backpack over her shoulders. It was clunky but light, filled with mostly clothes and one schoolbook. Link’s bag was nearly flat, and it allowed her to wrap her arms around his waist.</p>
<p>Turning his head to check on her, he felt her lips on his cheek. “Happy birthday, again.”</p>
<p>Humming his contentment, he started rolling out of the parking lot, walking the bike most of the way. “Want to go on a miniature adventure with me before we go to my house?”</p>
<p>“Obviously.”</p>
<p>“Hold on then,” he said, finally shifting gears and feeling her tighten her grip as they rode away.</p>
<p>It was a good thirty minutes on the highway until Link finally took an exit and veered onto some more rural roads, and soon, they were outside someone’s farm with Link killing the engine and taking his helmet off.</p>
<p>Zelda stepped off and took Link’s hand when he offered, unsure where they were or what they were doing, but she followed him to a fence that ran along the edge of some property.</p>
<p>Link let go to lean on the wood, staring at horses in the distance that were roaming through the field, tails swishing either happily, or to shoo away a fly.</p>
<p>It took Link a moment of watching with a sad smile to drag his eyes away, back to Zelda. “Mikau used to drive me up here. Something about the horses used to calm me down. I’d stare at them forever, and he’d just sit in the car and let me.”</p>
<p>“Do you have something you need to calm your mind about?”</p>
<p>Link smirked, not in amusement. “I threatened Revali. I want to smoke so badly. I punched a wall. I’m down a job. Midterms are coming up. I haven’t heard anything about college. My closest friend is dead on my birthday again. Like… sometimes I think it’s all a joke and he’ll call or send a postcard from some faraway land, gone, but not <em>really</em>.”</p>
<p>Zelda leaned on his arm, running a comforting hand up and down his tense muscles. “Would you tell me about him? Or is that too much?”</p>
<p>“He—” Link started before sitting down in the grass just before the fence, bringing Zelda with him. He was sitting sideways so he could still see the horses. “He was my Makeela. My best friend, but something more. Like a brother. You’ve seen me and Pip, yeah? I’m at his house or we’re at mine when I’m not with you. Imagine that, but then blow it up a bit. I stayed with him and his family when my dad kicked me out right before I went to jail. He didn’t give up on me. He was that kind of person, you know? Like you. Saw the good in everyone.</p>
<p>“When I first met him, he practically hated me. I was like that annoying younger sibling’s shadow who followed him everywhere. I did that to Aryll for a while too. But he had patience enough to deal with me. With me, with my attitude and problems, with my family problems. He taught me things. How to work, how to put effort into something <em>good. </em></p>
<p><em>“</em>He was funny, and he played too many video games. He loved to eat. He was middle class. He had a job at Gabe’s. Remember, Gabe is his uncle. He had a slight lisp when he said things with T’s. The anniversary of his death is at the start of next year. I always go visit his stone. But the anniversary is the only time I’ll visit.”</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry, Link.”</p>
<p>“I know.” He sighed and leaned back. “I wanted to show you the farm. I just needed a few minutes here.”</p>
<p>“We can stay. I don’t mind.”</p>
<p>“What are you going to do while I stare at horses?”</p>
<p>“Stare at you?” she tried with a smile.</p>
<p>It got a soft chuckle out of him, and he nodded while he felt her scoot closer to him. She used his thigh as a pillow, closing her eyes after while he played with her hair, ran his hands along her face, anything that could calm him down a bit. But his attention was divided between her, the horses, and his own thoughts.</p>
<p>“How is everything today?” he asked her, hoping to distract himself.</p>
<p>He felt her shrug. “No one said anything about a picture. What exactly did you do to Revali?” She smoothed her skirt down and shifted to get more comfortable.</p>
<p>Link hummed as he ran his finger down the side of her cheek before returning to her hair. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”</p>
<p>“I would.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t do anything. I told Revali he should talk his friends down. That’s all.”</p>
<p>“<em>That</em> got you a bloody hand?”</p>
<p>“And dysentery, apparently.”</p>
<p>“Shut up,” she laughed, shaking his leg. “I <em>meant</em> sepsis.”</p>
<p>“How about home?” Link asked. “How are your parents doing?”</p>
<p>Again, he could feel her shoulders shrug. “I don’t know. I see them in the mornings, and I don’t really see them long enough any other time. That Holodrum presentation is coming up, so they’re just super busy. No one has mentioned you though, so that’s possibly good.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, hopefully,” he muttered, leaning back against the wooden post.</p>
<p>“Link?” Zelda asked, fiddling with her shirt. He looked at her, waiting. It took her a minute to find the words. “Are you… disappointed? I mean, you saw me practically shirtless for the first time in a blackmail attempted photograph. Like… it wasn’t in person.”</p>
<p>Link scoffed. “What the fuck kind of question is that? Disappointed, yeah, but gods, not with you. With those assholes that I gave a little too much credit to. But not with you. Gods, not you.”</p>
<p>“Okay. I just… I just wanted to know.”</p>
<p>They stayed there for some time after, their conversations aimless, but nonetheless enthralling. Link spoke about his past, about Mikau, how they both met Pipit. It had to be an hour before they finally stood up again and made for Link’s bike before heading back home.</p>
<p>When they went inside, Aryll wasn’t home yet. Link headed out to cover his bike before returning inside and throwing his bag onto the couch. “Make yourself comfortable.”</p>
<p>Zelda let her clunky bag land beside his. “I always do.”</p>
<p>Link glanced into the refrigerator and sighed. “Guess she’s going to come home with food later.”</p>
<p>Zelda couldn’t help her smug grin as she crossed the room and grabbed Link’s hand, leading him back to the couch. “If she’s not home… we’re alone for a little while. And I know something fun that will pass the time.”</p>
<p>Link chuckled and pulled her away from the couch toward his room. “No way are we making out on that couch where she can just walk the fuck in.”</p>
<p>“Your room always feels so scandalous. You haven’t even actually gone inside mine.”</p>
<p>“There are only three rooms with doors: One is Aryll’s room, one’s a broom closet sized bathroom, and the other is my room. Your pick.”</p>
<p>Scoffing, Zelda stepped into the room and smirked. “I didn’t say I <em>disliked</em> feeling scandalous in here. And next time you can sneak over, you’re stepping foot in my room, okay?”</p>
<p>“Okay,” he muttered kissing her quickly before shutting the door.</p>
<p>Zelda chuckled and crossed her arms, staring at the poster on the inside of his door. “Amalia is watching.”</p>
<p>“Want me to take it down?” he asked, giving it a studious look.</p>
<p>“No. No, I think it’s funny. You could leave me for her, if she ever magically becomes real. Feel free.”</p>
<p>“Because you’d leave me for Castor?” he laughed. “Damn werewolves ruining our relationship.”</p>
<p>She smirked. He was possibly the only one who would be willing to joke with her about their fictional show like this. She remembered once making a comment about ‘what if Makeela had formed a pack and left Zelda out’—which happened to Amalia in season one—and Makeela had become highly upset at the implication that she’d ever do such a thing.  </p>
<p>“What superpower would you want?” Zelda asked suddenly. “If you could have one. Would you want to be a werewolf or some cool shapeshifting badass?”</p>
<p>Link turned to her and thought for a second, humming as he did.</p>
<p>“Well,” he said, wrapping his arms low on her hips. “I wouldn’t need strength.” He picked her up and adjusted his grip, so she was secure against him, her legs locked automatically around his waist.</p>
<p>“Whoa,” she laughed. “Yeah, you’re strong, Mr. Show Off.”</p>
<p>He chuckled with her and set her down on the bed, which—like most of the room—he’d cleaned last night. Setting her down gently onto the futon’s mattress, he sat beside her. “Teleportation. You?”</p>
<p>Zelda leaned towards him, interested. “I’d want to shoot crazy beams of light out of my hand because it would look cool. Why teleportation?”</p>
<p>Link shrugged. “I don’t know. Travel anywhere for free. Not need to walk to the bus in the rain. Visit you when you go away to college. They all sound like good reasons.”</p>
<p>“Wait,” she said, stopping him as she grabbed his arm. “Is that something you’re worried about?”</p>
<p>Link made a face. “I wouldn’t call it ‘worried’, but yeah… something like that. I know it can’t last, but I do like seeing you almost every day. I’ll miss it. Teleportation would be nice.”</p>
<p>“Link, you have a camera on your computer. We’ll video chat. And it’s not forever. I’ll be home on weekends, no matter where I go. Despite what my parents probably wish, I’m not going to school in Holodrum or anything.”</p>
<p>“You might not want to come home,” Link muttered, losing himself in his thoughts. “You’ll find other people. People you like. People you <em>like</em>. People who your parents would want you to bring home. People who can afford to take you out to dinner.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I want to be able to take you to dinner, but look, we’re on my <em>futon</em> bed. I can’t afford to splurge on a nice meal for you.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want a nice meal. I’ve never asked you to take me out. I’m so happy coming over and cooking with you, or you coming to my house and ordering. Remember when you said you weren’t in this with me for sex? Well I’m not in this with you for money. So suck it up. You’re stuck with me.”</p>
<p>The corners of his lips tipped up and he nodded. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>She narrowed her eyes and pulled his arm so he was facing her. “Help me out, Link. I’ve never done this.”</p>
<p>“Never done what?”</p>
<p>Her eyes glinted with mischief. “We were rudely interrupted last time we made out in here. I want to pick up where we left off. And maybe along the way, you’ll get the idea that I want you for <em>you</em>, not the things you have.”</p>
<p>“What?” he asked again, but this time, his answer was her kissing him again, though much more intensely than just a few minutes ago. Her tongue was against his, playful but fierce all at once.</p>
<p>And when she broke away, it was to grab his shirt.</p>
<p>“Oh,” he muttered, finally understanding.</p>
<p>“How do I… it’s going to end up inside out…” she muttered to herself as she adjusted her grip.</p>
<p>Link chuckled low. “I don’t fucking care if it ends up inside out,” he said before pulling up at the collar at the nape of his neck and letting her do the rest until he could carelessly toss it somewhere onto the floor.</p>
<p>Zelda felt more fabric and groaned, though not without a laugh. “Have I ever told you how much I hate your white tee shirts? You pick these ones that are just right against your muscles and gods, they make me want to just die a bit.”</p>
<p>“You can rip it off if you hate it so much.”</p>
<p>Zelda snorted and ran her hands through his hair before kissing him again.</p>
<p>She remembered Ravio, some of the things they’d done. It wasn’t the first time she would be seeing a shirtless guy—excluding all pool parties she’d ever been to—but Ravio had always liked control. She was pretty sure, by her memory, that he’d whipped his own shirts off and proceeded to practically paw at her until she had to tell him to back off. But with Link, he was giving her control, not wrangling it back when she took it herself. Helpful, but not domineering. And she liked it.</p>
<p>So when she tossed his tee shirt in vaguely the same direction as his uniform, she admittedly gawked at him, her voice hitching into a high-pitch of admiration. “Gods, you’re ripped.”</p>
<p>Link barked out a laugh as his entire chest turned flaming red, warm to the touch, he imagined. “I get bored a lot.”</p>
<p>She couldn’t even bring herself to do anything but stare at him. “I’m not complaining at all, but maybe you need another hobby on top of exercising?”</p>
<p>“I play guitar, remember?”</p>
<p>She scoffed, finally daring to take a step towards him, though she cautiously took his hands rather than <em>immediately </em>throwing herself at him right off the bat. “That’s one of the reasons your hands are so calloused. You can’t escape having some kind of muscle, can you?”</p>
<p>She watched his skin turn redder, and her hands finally reached out to touch his bare skin, causing him to tense and shudder. She could hear him mutter ‘fucking hell’ under his breath. And she noticed his tattoos, unobstructed and the full view for once. But she was taking her time.</p>
<p>Letting her hands run down his chest, she marveled at how his muscles rippled and twitched at her every touch. How she took a step closer and let her hands move back from his stomach, up his chest, and around his neck. How her lips joined in, experimentally light against him. How he hissed out the word ‘fuck’ every time his body did something he couldn’t control.</p>
<p>And for Link, he could feel himself shaking. Everything about this was foreign to him. He felt <em>good</em>. No one had made him feel so unabashedly good about himself in the years he could remember. No one ran their hands along his skin and didn’t immediately jerk away at some unintentional contact, like his criminal status was the plague.</p>
<p>No one looked at him the way Zelda did. No one made him feel wanted like she did. Sure, he had Ilia and he had Pipit. But they were his siblings, like Aryll. Mikau had been a brother. Gabe was like a father. And this wasn’t a feeling someone in your family could give you. It was the most intense feeling of realizing that maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t crazy. That maybe he wasn’t the only one of the two of them who was falling in love.</p>
<p>He’d felt her lips on the skin of his collarbone, but gods, his mind had gone hazy and blank to the point where it hadn’t even registered. He was so rapt in <em>her</em> that he just… couldn’t focus.</p>
<p>“You still doing okay?” she asked when she backed away, flipping her hair over her shoulder and letting her fingers play with his ears.</p>
<p>And again, he felt his mind just desert him. He hummed something. Some noise maybe? An agreement? A… dare he think it… moan? He didn’t even know.</p>
<p><em>I love you,</em> his brain urged. But it’s not what he said.</p>
<p>“This is all pretty new to me,” he admitted.</p>
<p>And his sense came back enough to realize just how bashful she looked. “Me too, really. This is all… okay?”</p>
<p>“You know how to treat a heart attack, right?” he laughed. And reacting to his words, her hand trailed over his racing heart. But he cleared his throat and held his hand over hers. “Yeah. This is all okay.”</p>
<p>She smiled soft and sweet. “Can I take a better look at your tattoos?”</p>
<p>He nodded and shifted so his side was facing her. Her hand immediately went to the ink on his skin. It was the of one of the mythical Goddesses calling for a knight in armor to meet her through a doorway</p>
<p>“This is so much more incredible and detailed when your sleeve isn’t in the way. I never saw the whole thing.”</p>
<p>The tattoo went onto his back a bit, and even up higher onto his shoulder: places that Zelda hadn’t been able to see with his shirt on.</p>
<p>But she squeaked excitedly and pushed his arm aside. “The sword! You told me it was hidden!”</p>
<p>The Master Sword of legend ran straight down his ribs. “I told you it was hidden from <em>you</em> while my shirt was on. Not that it’s hidden overall.”</p>
<p>And he still couldn’t stop the aggressive shiver ripple through him as she tactically examined it.</p>
<p>“It’s so detailed.” Her hands go to the one she’s seen before, though her eyes move to the part on his back that’s been hidden.</p>
<p>She squinted at something dark, a mangled piece of skin that’s been covered by the tattoo. And when she felt it, it <em>felt </em>different too… wrinkly, like it was skin that had been tugged and adjusted and settled and perhaps moved again. “Can I ask what happened here?” she asked, feeling it so he knew what she meant.</p>
<p>He nodded and craned his next to get his best view, though he ended up settling for meeting her gaze in the mirror with her entirely behind him. “It’s from the car accident. It was a few surgeries. I think it was a piece of metal that did that. They told me it was, anyway. I don’t remember much about it.”</p>
<p>She pulled her fingers away, a sudden thought concerning her. “Does it hurt? Am I agitating it?”</p>
<p>“No, you’re fine. It’s been mostly healed for years. When I first got it covered, it hurt like a bitch. But it’s good now.”</p>
<p>“Why did you choose this design?” She leaned back now, like sitting next to him shirtless on his bed was absolutely no big deal to either of them.</p>
<p>He rested forward on his arms, and gods, did all his muscles move in all the right ways before he looked at her. “I like to think that there’s something after we die. That everything we do here isn’t for nothing. That dying young isn’t in vain, and dying old is an accomplishment celebrated by more than the people we leave behind. So, I like to think that the Goddesses call us home. I don’t know if I actually believe it, but I like to think it.”</p>
<p>“I think that’s beautiful.”</p>
<p><em>I think you’re beautiful</em>, his mind echoed, but he didn’t say it aloud. Instead, he kept silent, nodding along instead.</p>
<p>Zelda scooted closer, <em>too</em> close. Link’s eyes darted to her lips before back up to her oddly mischievous and glinting eyes. Though, he was willing to admit that he didn’t hate the way she was lustily looking him over when she did before she let her lips dance along his shoulder.</p>
<p>“If you got more tattoos, what would they be of?” she asked with a smirk.</p>
<p>Link couldn’t stop himself from kissing her again before he answered. They both started laughing as they toppled backwards onto his bed. Zelda got comfortable on the pillow while Link pulled away, supporting himself over her with one of his arms.</p>
<p>The other ran his hand along her forehead. “I’d get my name in huge letters right here. But on my head, obviously. What do you think?”</p>
<p>She bit back an amused smirk and made a cautiously supportive noise, though her expression betrayed her… lack of interest in that particular tattoo.</p>
<p>He chuckled. “Okay, what if I got <em>your </em>face tattooed directly over my face? Then, no one would know who I was. I’d be like a ninja.”</p>
<p>That got an audible laugh from her and her hands ran pointedly over his chest. “Oh yeah, no one will figure that one out. You’re <em>really</em> sneaky, Link.”</p>
<p>Link wrapped his arm around her and pulled closer to her, reveling in how easily she fit against him, even at this odd angle.</p>
<p>“I’d want the legendary spiritual stones,” he admitted, finally serious. “I like the elements and what they represent.”</p>
<p>“You have the Triforce of Courage, too. You like legends.”</p>
<p>“I do. I grew up reading stories of knights and courage and overcoming evil.”</p>
<p>“And princesses,” Zelda added with a laugh.</p>
<p>Link hummed, bending down to kiss her again. “And princesses.”</p>
<p>Somehow, he had to keep convincing himself—even after all this time—that this wasn’t a dream. That he wasn’t sitting in class staring at her across the room conjuring up a wildly inappropriate fantasy in the middle of the school day. Sometimes, he had to remind himself that they <em>actually</em> had started talking. That he’d somehow managed to find this girl in his life. That <em>he</em>, of all people, had won the lucky draw and she’d appeared.</p>
<p>His hand tentatively hovered over the buttons of her uniform blouse, already wrinkled and ridden up at the waist. She couldn’t see, he knew, but it took him a moment of steeling his own nerves before letting his hand brush down her throat and stop at the buttons so she knew what he wanted without seeing or breaking their kiss.</p>
<p>He could feel her nod, and in his nerves, his shaking hand pulled at the fabric.</p>
<p>“Stop, wait,” she said, craning so she could see what he was doing.</p>
<p>“Sorry!” he said quickly, moving away.</p>
<p>“No, come back! It’s not that,” she giggled, grabbing his arm and urging him back. “It’s just that this is my uniform. If you rip a button like that, not only will my parents figure out what we’re doing right now when they see me trying to learn to sew a new button on, but so will the school, because I have to wear this tomorrow. So just be careful or go slower.”</p>
<p>“Gods,” he breathed, relieved. He’d thought he’d done something horribly wrong.</p>
<p>“You okay?” she asked, smoothing a hand through his hair.</p>
<p>“After what happened yesterday… I just thought I did something.”</p>
<p>The picture.</p>
<p>Zelda shook her head. “I don’t want to think of that, or of who’s seen it. I want to think about who’s seeing me now.”</p>
<p>“Oh, fuck,” Link muttered, and absolutely <em>not </em>in a bad way, as his eyes ran over her.</p>
<p>Zelda chuckled and pulled him back for a quick kiss. “I think that’s all you say when we’re together.”</p>
<p>He laughed and pushed his hair back. “I can go read a dictionary before next time, if you want. Try to expand my vocabulary.”</p>
<p><em>I love you,</em> he thought might be a good replacement.</p>
<p>“I can think of other things you can do with your mouth,” she said, turning red as soon as she said the words, but not really regretting them.</p>
<p>Link stiffened. “Fucking hell, Zelda,” he breathed before realizing he’d done it again. “Fuck. I mean… shit. Gods dammit.”</p>
<p>A hard laugh burst from Zelda’s lips, no matter how hard she tried to keep it down.</p>
<p>“You’re going to kill me,” he muttered, trying to regain his composure before realizing that he didn’t need to.</p>
<p>He dropped his lips to her neck and then trailed downward, following the trail his fingers were making as they released each button. He almost accidently bit her when she arched up into his mouth just as his lips pulled back, banging into his front teeth.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” they both muttered at once before laughing.</p>
<p>Link returned his attention to her, having far too much fun listening to her hitched breaths and soft noises when his hand joined his lips as they brushed over her skin, so close but yet too far from where she wanted them. And Link… well, he <em>struggled</em> to keep his wits about him with her squirming and arching into him. His hand rested over the front clasp of her bra, but he had to keep himself from acting on it, because <em>that </em>was not something he wanted to rush, and he knew Aryll would be home soon.</p>
<p>So—though it didn’t <em>actually </em> do much because gods, this was Zelda he was thinking about—he tried to mediate the situation by returning to her lips and experimenting with a little more vigor, which she matched and quickly overtook.</p>
<p>And was he ever glad he didn’t decide to go for it when he heard the front door of the apartment slam and Aryll’s voice call out his name.</p>
<p>“Yeah, in here!” Link called back, grinning at Zelda mischievously.</p>
<p>“Is Zelda in there with you? I didn’t see her car.”</p>
<p>“Hi Aryll,” Zelda called weakly before stifling an embarrassed groan into Link’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Hey girl, good to hear you again! Listen, I know you two are probably having a great time doing whatever, but I’m fucking hungry, Link, so wrap it up and get out here so I can eat this food and go to bed, okay? I have my 7:30 class in the morning, a meeting with my advisor before that, and I actually want to celebrate your birthday with you. Then you can… resume.”</p>
<p>“We’ll be right out,” Link said, though his voice hitched at the end when he let go of Zelda. “Fuck,” he muttered to himself, grabbing a shirt off the clean laundry pile and throwing it over his head. He looked over Zelda again, hungry and wanting, but he grabbed another shirt and held it out for her. “So you don’t need to wear your uniform.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she said, pulling it on, enjoying his far-too-stressed reaction as he watched her. It was too loose, hanging off of her like she was a child playing dress up.</p>
<p>And then he grabbed two sweatshirts. “Gods,” he chuckled, unable to resist himself from kissing her again.</p>
<p>
  <em>I love you. </em>
</p>
<p>“I like seeing you in my stuff,” he said instead.</p>
<p>“Oh, do you?” She tugged the Indigo-Go’s one on and hugged the arms to herself. “I like being in them, so it’s a fair trade.”</p>
<p>He pulled his own sweatshirt over his head and heard Zelda snicker. “Unless you’re not embarrassed around your sister, I think you’re going to want a longer sweatshirt.”</p>
<p>Link looked down and… yeah… a little too noticeable. He grabbed a new one and tried to avoid making his situation worse by staring at Zelda in his sweatshirt, and his shirt, in her uniform skirt, which had ridden up a bit with their activities and… not helping.</p>
<p>“Do you need sweatpants?” Link asked, knowing she’d say no because he knew she’d brought some that would actually fit her. But it got her attention onto her skirt, which she fixed. “I have some to sleep in. They’re in my bag. I’ll change in a minute.”</p>
<p>He fixed the inside-out hood and pulled the bottom of his oversized sweatshirt down. “Better?”</p>
<p>He was assuredly <em>not </em>better when her eyes flicked down. And when they met his again, she nodded and winked at him before opening the door.</p>
<p>Aryll was at the kitchen counter, pulling plates out and setting takeout food onto them, not noticing them emerge. Zelda veered over to her bag on the couch, digging for her sweatpants before folding them over her arm.</p>
<p>“Can I change in your room?”</p>
<p>Not helping.</p>
<p>“Yeah, go ahead,” Link said, hurrying over to Aryll to get his mind to focus on <em>anything</em> else. “Sweet,” Link said, grabbing at the Spicy Gerudo Cake.</p>
<p>But Aryll grabbed his hand. “No way, you little thief. Paws off. Food then dessert.”</p>
<p>“<em>Technically</em>, he said, inching his hand toward the orange frosting, “You’re no longer my guardian so I can eat whatever cake I want.”</p>
<p>She hit his arm. “I’m your guardian until 8:52pm. You’re still seventeen, Mr. Hotshot.”</p>
<p>Conceding with a smile, Link held up his hands. “Okay, okay. What did you get me then?”</p>
<p>“I got you food and cake.”</p>
<p>“Fine, thank you,” he said, turning at the sound of his door closing and Zelda emerging to put her uniform into her bag.</p>
<p>Aryll handed Link his plate of food and smiled at Zelda. “Love your sweatshirt. Link has an identical one.”</p>
<p>Zelda immediately turned red and started chuckling nervously.</p>
<p>“Leave her alone,” Link groaned, taking Zelda’s plate to the coffee table for her.</p>
<p>“No, it’s okay,” Aryll laughed, setting her own things down. “It’s a rite of passage. I steal Colin’s things all the time when I’m at his house.”</p>
<p>“Why isn’t he here?” Link asked, taking a mouthful of noodles from his favorite restaurant.</p>
<p>“He did want to be. Just… work. You know the feeling.”</p>
<p>“Too well,” Link agreed.</p>
<p>And they ate together with chatty conversations that filled the space. They cleaned out the dishes and stored leftovers in the fridge and wiped down the table all before Aryll sat down and made herself comfortable while Link handed out the pieces of cake.</p>
<p>“What did Zelda get you?” Aryll asked with an exited grin.</p>
<p>Link looked at Zelda.</p>
<p>She bit her lip. “Okay, Link, listen: I did spend money on this, and you’re going to know <em>exactly </em>how much, but I also want you to not get mad and to remember that I’m rich. My parents are bringing in thousands of dollars in overtime, and they owe me money for damages done to my upbringing. Okay?”</p>
<p>“That’s the worst job selling something I’ve ever heard.”</p>
<p>Zelda grimaced and reached over the couch to grab a neatly wrapped box. “Happy birthday.”</p>
<p>With a cautious look, Link took the box. It was feather light and didn’t shake when he tested it. He tore the paper and was met with a plain white box with the lid taped down. Once he was able to get the lid off, he saw a small gift card, unlabeled on the side facing him. So, he lifted the holder.</p>
<p>And nearly dropped it.</p>
<p>“Gods, Zelda, are you serious? This is… too much money.”</p>
<p>His mouth was wide as he picked up the little card again and read the words: <em>Desert Ink and Piercings: $250</em></p>
<p>But Zelda leaned forward, her eyes shining as she registered his excitement that was bursting through the price shock. “You want a new tattoo, right? A spiritual stone, maybe?”</p>
<p>A wide smile finally hit his face. “You were fucking baiting me in there, weren’t you?”</p>
<p>“Oh for sure.”</p>
<p>“You even have the right place I go to.”</p>
<p>“Aryll helped me.”</p>
<p>Link’s eyes darted over to his sister.</p>
<p>Aryll shrugged. “I have your girlfriend’s number, Link. She and I had a great day here without you while you were at work while she figured this one out.”</p>
<p>Link snorted, but pulled Zelda into him, giving her a chaste kiss in front of his sister. “Thank you, Zel. But please, don’t spend that much money on me again. I’m not wort—”</p>
<p>“Don’t finish that thought, Link,” Zelda warned, kissing him once more before sliding back. “I’m not sure how Mrs. Joy will feel about you flaunting one lower on your arm. You’re running out of room up top unless you switch arms.”</p>
<p>“I’ll get it in winter, wear long sleeves, and by the end of spring when it’s hot, I’ll have perfected speedily covering it in the mornings.”</p>
<p>“My turn,” Aryll said, standing to grab something else and tossing it at Link. “This is from Colin and I.”</p>
<p>He caught it, and there was a decent amount of weight to it. No wrapping, just a white box that, like Zelda’s, had been taped down.</p>
<p>And again, when he opened it, he nearly dropped it. “What the fuck, Aryll. What did… how…?”</p>
<p>“Combined power. Open it. I didn’t tell Zelda what it is.”</p>
<p>And he lifted a smartphone out of the box, already with a screen cover and phone case over it. It was no latest model, but it was sleek and new.</p>
<p>Zelda’s eyes lit up.</p>
<p>Link spun the phone in his hand. “We can’t afford this…”</p>
<p>Aryll threw her legs over the arm of the chair. “We can. You’re on my family plan, which has unlimited talk and text. And we’ve talked about adding you before, so you know it’s not going to be <em>that </em>much extra money. Besides, with you going to college soon, I want you to have a real phone. Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep your number the same, so that’s new. And maybe send me or Zelda the pictures you want to transfer over. And you might need to redownload Snake. Oh, right, try to stay on the Wi-Fi when you use the internet.”</p>
<p>Link put the phone down and wrapped his arms around Aryll, giving her neck a playfully tight squeeze. “Thank you, Aryll.”</p>
<p>She tapped his arm, laughing. “Eighteen is a big deal, kiddo.”</p>
<p>“Apparently,” he said, letting her go before returning to his couch and playing with the phone, setting it up with Zelda’s guiding assistance. She was the first new number in his phone, now under the name Princess Zelda Harkinian, if only because he liked typing on a touch screen. He didn’t need to add an “A” in front, because his phone now had the option for favorites. And he sent out a text to Aryll, Zelda, Ilia, Pipit, Gabe, Makeela, and Collin letting them know about the number change and so they’d have his new number in their phone.</p>
<p>They worked on changing the background (which Link playfully put as a picture of him and Zelda making strange faces while testing the camera before deciding he wanted to actually keep it), adding apps and pictures to his contacts, and changing the ringtone.</p>
<p>Aryll ended up heading to sleep and Link left Zelda with his phone while he changed out of his uniform pants and into sweats before inviting her in to get more comfortable as it got later in the night.</p>
<p>Zelda peeled off Link’s sweatshirt and tugged at the shirt he’d let her. “Should I change?”</p>
<p>“No, you can sleep in that,” he said, slightly choking on the words as he realized that Zelda would be sleeping in his shirt (for no <em>real</em> reason) and in his bed with him. Because he’d invited her to stay the night. Because somehow, he’d managed to ask her if she wanted to stay over on his birthday. Because…</p>
<p>
  <em>I love you.</em>
</p>
<p>But he didn’t say it again.</p>
<p>“Do you want the inside or the outside?” he asked, gesturing to his futon. Both sides had benefits and downfalls. The side against the wall was harder, firm from the springs below that allowed the couch to stretch out at all, and the outside was completely unsupported, but extremely soft. “Give them a try. They feel different.”</p>
<p>Link grabbed his clunky laptop off the floor while Zelda rolled around.</p>
<p>“What side are you normally on?”</p>
<p>“Both.”</p>
<p>“So helpful,” she muttered, finally settling on the softer side.</p>
<p>Link crawled over her and opened up his laptop, which Zelda promptly took away from him to log into her Movie Slate account while he tried to figure out what noise he wanted to use for the alarm on his phone.</p>
<p>They picked out a movie, one that they’d both been interested in but never seen, and immediately proceeded to talk through the opening.</p>
<p>“Is this weird?” Link asked, gesturing to the blanket that they were under.</p>
<p>“Is it?” she asked, unsure what he meant.</p>
<p>“Like, I just wanted to know if you wanted me to sleep somewhere else. I’ve stayed over a few times, but you’re here at my house… in my bed. Couches are one thing. And when you agreed to come over, we didn’t really talk about sleeping where because—”</p>
<p>“Link, you’re fine. Please. We didn’t need to talk; I got the memo when you invited me over that the bed was possibly implied. And I’m fine with it if you are.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m fine with it.”</p>
<p>Link felt her press up against him, getting comfortable as she watched the computer that was balancing on his legs. And he kept his arm around her, like they were on any old couch, trying to keep his cool.</p>
<p>And soon, the movie had ended. Link unplugged it and listened to it shut off without a battery to sustain it and handed it to Zelda to slide under the bed.</p>
<p>Zelda used Link’s arm as a pillow, complaining still that she should have got him new ones for his birthday instead. He didn’t mind at all, especially not when her arm draped across his stomach. His hand went to trace a small pattern, not too distracting as to wake them both up, but enough that he felt her arm break out into goosebumps.</p>
<p>“Goodnight, Link. Happy birthday.”</p>
<p>His head lolled towards her, watching her eyes drift closed.</p>
<p>
  <em>I love you.</em>
</p>
<p>“Night, Zel. Thanks for being here.”</p>
<p>“Anytime,” she muttered before drifting off to sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>After all the pain and angst, I hope you enjoy this massive fluff section! I was going to split this because it was over 6000 words where my usual is 3000ish, but I couldn't find a good place, so you now get the whole thing all at once!! WOOOO!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Chapter 32</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda grabbed a jacket from her closet. It was chilly, and definitely not an ideal first day back after the long weekend. But it was colder now than it had been earlier in the day; now, it was later in the night and just before rehearsal.</p>
<p>She’d had perhaps too much fun splitting her weekend between Makeela and Link, and she hated every second she had to spend at school, realizing her peaceful weekend with friends was over and she’d likely have to wait for their winter break in three weeks before doing anything <em>more</em> with Link, or to do any of the fun things she and Makeela had planned out.</p>
<p>She hadn’t convinced Link to sneak over and defy her parents yet, but she was working on him. She missed being able to be spontaneous and invite him over if she wanted. But she loved his house too, and didn’t feel any significant loss by not staying at home.</p>
<p>If anything, his home had a whole new set of memories associated with them. She’d only stayed over on his birthday, but gods, she remembered it over and over as if it happened daily… or nightly, she supposed. No, she<em> wished.</em></p>
<p>They’d been comfortable on his bed… futon… she still wasn’t sure what he preferred to call it. She’d resorted to using Link as a pillow, though she cited his own pillows as ‘too thin’, which was no lie. But she preferred Link anyway, and from the way he’d cozied up to her, he didn’t mind either.</p>
<p>It had taken most of the night for either of them to <em>actually </em>fall asleep. It came in busts. Stretches of time that left them resting, and others that had them wide awake. They coincided with each other, so she figured one of them had to be jostling the other awake, though she didn’t know which of them it had been.</p>
<p>In those moments of being awake with him, she could still remember the feel of the skin of his legs, bristled with fine hairs that tickled her foot as she ran it along his. Or after too much teasing, how she’d find her entire leg trapped down by his, making moving too difficult and leaving her a trapped target for his lips to find her again and again through their playful laughter.</p>
<p>She let her head fall back against her headboard as she thought of how Link’s hand slid under her shirt to run along her back, almost like it were just a habit of his now rather than seeking something more. Gods, she loved remembering the way his eyes widened in shock, waking him right up, when he didn’t feel the back of her bra. And more, she loved the almost pained noise he’d made when she revealed how long ago she’d availed herself of such a constricting item.</p>
<p>But they both whined, realizing just how tired and constrained their schedule was, and so they settled for a <em>far</em> tamer night… the evidence of which was on her shoulder.  </p>
<p>At <em>that </em>thought, she blushed to herself, thinking of where she’d spent a significant amount of time covering a bruised mark that was too suspiciously shaped like a mouth. And her entire body doubled down on her when she thought of the mark she’d left on Link, though his had been much easier to hide. Despite being alone, she let out out an embarrassed laugh to herself… they’d been <em>so </em>careless.</p>
<p>Yet it had been so fun.</p>
<p>But today had been school: a reality that broke through their weekend with a reminder of work and responsibilities.</p>
<p>Since the moment she saw him that morning, Link had been experimenting with his new phone, often calling her throughout the day by mistake, and video chatting with her when he meant to text. She loved watching him struggle. It was cute, and he was trying, but gods, sometimes when he called by accident, it was while she was talking to her parents when she’d gotten home after school but before rehearsal, and she had to hurriedly hide the name.</p>
<p>Makeela had been <em>far</em> too interested in the details of her night at Link’s. She’d admitted everything, though for the sake of privacy left out a few details. She’d told her just how much she wanted to keep going with Link, but that there was some godsforsaken reason that she couldn’t take the initiative. She still felt some shred of insecurity, no matter how he made her feel. It was something he hadn’t done to her, so it was harder to chip away.</p>
<p>And that conversation had led to a burning hotseat of questions from Makeela: <em>do you think you love him? Are you ready for the next step? Should I kill Ravio for you? </em></p>
<p>And while Zelda appreciated Makeela’s enthusiasm and willingness to engage, it was still a little too awkward to discuss, if only because she’d never discussed it before.</p>
<p>“Well,” Makeela said, grabbing her phone from her pocket. “I’ve been talking to Pipit and I’ve been talking to Ilia, and they both think that—”</p>
<p>“Wait! You’ve been talking to Pipit and Ilia? For fun, or about Link and I?”</p>
<p>“Both,” she admitted. “I like them both. But we all also like talking about you and Link and how we want your wedding to be on a nice sandy shore, maybe at Lake Hylia. Pipit thinks that you guys are going to have to get married barefoot so your shoes don’t get messed up, and Ilia agrees, but more so because we don’t want you to sink into the sand in heels.”</p>
<p>Zelda rolled her eyes, unsure if she should <em>actually</em> believe this plan, or if Makeela was teasing her on the spot. Honestly, both were equally possible.</p>
<p>But as Zelda got ready to leave the house earlier than usual, pushing thoughts of Makeela aside for now, she stopped herself, noticing her father set something down on the coffee table before heading into his study on the phone, closing the door before raising his voice.</p>
<p>Zelda crept toward it and saw a large book. It took a closer inspection of the cover to realize that it was one of their family albums. She flipped to the marked page and saw herself as a baby, held by two smiling, tired parents. She left the mark in and flipped the page: her at age three, cake smeared on her face with a birthday hat on. She couldn’t help but smile at her own excited expression, like being covered in cake made her the happiest child in the world. And she could see her dad laughing in the background.</p>
<p>She flipped a few pages this time, and saw her with pigtails in the pool, playing with dolls on a float. She remembered this one. She used to make believe that her dolls were on a cruise ship and then her favorite female doll would have to jump in to save the most handsome men who fell overboard while trying to balance on the edge. And, because she was innocent and they were dolls, she had her favorite fall in love with every single one of them, though none of them seemed mind their apparently open relationship.</p>
<p>Grabbing her phone, Zelda snapped a picture and sent it to Link. “<em>You were right about me being a pigtails kid, fyi,”</em> she sent.</p>
<p>Not a full minute later, Link responded with one of his new favorite things: an emoji. It was the heart eyed one. And after, he sent back “<em>You were adorable.” </em></p>
<p>
  <em>“Were? Rude.”</em>
</p>
<p>And Link responded with his other favorite new item in his texting repertoire: gifs. He sent a gif of Castor flirtatiously staring at Amalia from <em>Moonlight Howl </em>in one of their introductory moments—when the writing hadn’t quite hit its stride yet and was still a bit too cringy—and the caption read “Well, aren’t you gorgeous?”</p>
<p>Zelda snorted. <em>“Smooth,” </em>she sent back. And received the kissing emoji in response. Well, he was never going to speak again, she realized. Not while he had this new phone.</p>
<p>She flipped the pages again her head snapped up at the sound of her dad closing the door, watching her. She felt the need to come up with a reason for not hurrying to rehearsal. “What day are you going to come to my show? I can get you tickets.”</p>
<p>“Likely the Sunday matinee. Don’t get them yet. We may be able to do Friday.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” she said, fidgeting as she went to get up.</p>
<p>“I was reminiscing,” he admitted, gesturing to the book. “Mind if I sit beside you?”</p>
<p>She stopped moving and nodded.<em> “</em>Of course not. Go ahead.”</p>
<p>He took the book from her and flipped back to his page. “Do you remember any of this? I doubt it.”</p>
<p>Zelda shook her head. She looked to be barely a year old in the picture.</p>
<p>Ramus tapped his finger anxiously against the page. “You’d just broken your grandmother’s vase. But you were so happy about it. I think you liked the crashing noise. We fully expected you to scream and cry, but you didn’t. After I grabbed you brought you into the other room, you were still smiling, so your mother grabbed the camera.”</p>
<p>“So I was a menace even then?” She meant it as a joke, but the words came out with too much bite.</p>
<p>Ramus set the book down. “I didn’t mean the things I said to you in the office the other day. I was busy at work and I was frustrated to leave.”</p>
<p>“I know,” she muttered halfheartedly.</p>
<p>“I…” he wavered, wishing Arina was there to back him up. “I still don’t approve of you dating someone with a criminal past.”</p>
<p>“You know what, I actually have to get going,” Zelda hissed, standing up.</p>
<p>“No, we’re in the middle of a conversation, Zelda. Sit back down. Rehearsal can wait a few more minutes.”</p>
<p>She hesitated, torn between her desperate desire to get out of there, and her somehow still present inherent respect for her parents’ word. So she sat.</p>
<p>“You’re still seeing him?” Ramus asked. “Even knowing how your mother and I disapprove?”</p>
<p>He <em>had </em>to phrase it like that. “Yes, I am.” She took a breath. “If you want to hate him so much, I’ll just get it all out at once. He rides a motorcycle that he’ll probably come over on someday, so he doesn’t have to borrow his sister’s car again. And he likes to wear short sleeved shirts, so you might see that he has a couple of tattoos, and two of them are to honor his best friend who died, but you won’t look closely enough.  And he’s a recovering smoker, so he has the patch still because he’s been struggling recently, but he’s trying. And you won’t see that either. And yes, he has a record, but you already know everything you need to know about that, don’t you?</p>
<p>“But dad, he’s not his appearance. He’s not who he was as a kid. He’s the best. I’ve never been treated so well by someone. He means so much to me, and so do you and mom. I don’t want to keep fighting about this, but if you’re determined not to like him, then add those to your list of stupid reasons to try to keep me away from him.”</p>
<p>Her father looked damned near a stroke, but to his credit, he didn’t die on the spot.</p>
<p>So, she kept going, as if her mouth couldn’t stop.</p>
<p>“Do you want to know what else he’s done? He gave me his jacket so I wouldn’t get a detention when I didn’t know a thing about him. He offered to fix my phone for free when I first broke it, even knowing that we have money. He got crackers to keep in his locker for me when he found out that I pass out. And he held me when I cried, because dad, people made me cry. So go ahead and hate him. Because he’s the <em>worst</em>,” she spat out sarcastically.</p>
<p>There was a long pause before Ramus shook his head. “Who made you cry?”</p>
<p>“I don’t remember anymore, but it sure wasn’t Link.” She didn’t want him involved in her school life. She didn’t want anything from him right now. “Maybe it was <em>you</em>.”</p>
<p>Ramus stiffened and shot Zelda a cold look, closing the photo album with a hard thud. “It wasn’t my intention,” he said, though it was emotionless. Her comment had hit a nerve, and he’d shut off.</p>
<p>She wished he’d do the opposite. She wanted him to get angry. She wanted him to yell, or deny that he’d ever made her cry. She wanted <em>something</em>. But his tone shut the topic down, like it meant nothing. Like making her cry had been the same as making her the wrong sandwich for lunch.</p>
<p>So all she did was nod. “I know.” And sighing, she stood up and grabbed her things again. “I’m going to be late to rehearsal. Just let me know which day you want tickets for soon. I want to get them before they go on sale. It’s reserved seating.”</p>
<p>“I’ll let you know, Zelda.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” she muttered before grabbing her keys, leaving their clanging to be the only sound that echoed in the heavy silence left between them before she could slam the door.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Link leaned heavily against the car in the garage. His back was killing him after being hunched over the hood for so long. His hands were covered in grease and oil that he was sure was going to be a pain to get off. He’d started the job with gloves on, but when they’d ripped over his already sweaty hands, he tossed them aside in annoyance. He needed to feel what he was doing with this repair, so he couldn’t put his thicker gloves on, and the latex would never get over his hands.</p>
<p>He was an absolute mess.</p>
<p>He pushed his sweaty hair our of his face with his shoulder. It hadn’t just been painful to bend over, it had been physically taxing to keep himself in that position. He wasn’t leaning on anything, and honestly, he wondered if this repair could count as core exercise.</p>
<p>There were some repairs that went smoothly, and he’d be finished without even paying attention. Then, there were others that Gabe supervised, like this one. It was something fairly new to Link, and he’d put his all into making the fix, but it had been at the expense of his body. From being hunched over the hood, pinned tightly under the car, to sacrificing his hands, he’d gone for it all.</p>
<p>Gabe came back after spending a taunting amount of time with a book in his hand and his feet up on a shredded tire, rocking it back and forth in perfect contentment.</p>
<p>Giving Link an amused expression at the amount of grease the poor kid was covered in, Gabe moved him off to the side to inspect the hood, humming as he fiddled around.</p>
<p>“You’re missing something,” he said finally, grabbing his book once again and returning to his place.</p>
<p>Link groaned and glanced back at Pipit, who was happily playing on his phone at the quiet electronics counter. Before Link could run his hands along his face, he managed to catch himself. He knew he was already disgusting, but he didn’t need to add to it by accidently smearing himself with car fluid.</p>
<p>He ducked his head back into the car and fiddled with everything he’d just taken care of, knowing that Gabe wouldn’t help him unless he actually <em>asked </em>for help. And he would ask for it if he couldn’t figure it out, but Gabe’s silence had actually spoken volumes.</p>
<p>Whenever Gabe knew something was over Link’s comparatively inexperienced head, he would take over and proceed to teach him. Since he’d said nothing, it meant he <em>knew</em> Link could figure this one out, and Link was determined to prove him right.  </p>
<p>It took about ten more minutes for Link to realize that he’d forgotten to reattach something, and he stepped away, confident that he’d gotten it this time. So confident, in fact, that he grabbed the nearest clean-ish rag to run along his face. He knew it would leave a smear, but better than feeling the beads of sweat drip onto his eyelashes again and again.</p>
<p>Gabe brushed past him, sending a wave of air that had Link relieved at the chill it sent over his damp skin. And he waited, and he watched Gabe’s reaction closely.</p>
<p>So, when Gabe smiled, Link couldn’t help but mutter a quick, “yes!” under his breath.</p>
<p>Gabe snorted in Link’s direction and went back to his book. “Don’t get too good. I won’t want you to leave on me one day.”</p>
<p>Link smirked and finally went over to the sink, lathering his hands with soap and letting the cool water run over his slippery hands as he attempted to do a fair first round of cleaning himself up. When oil and grease wasn’t running off his hands in rivers, he finally grabbed the towel and let it soak in fresh soap before running it all along his face, his neck, and onto his chest before rinsing it off and letting it dry naturally, reveling in the chilly air from the open doors before tossing the towel into their washing machine along with his coveralls. He hand-washed his hat and set it out to dry though.</p>
<p>When he was finally done, he went to sit with Gabe for a bit, stealing the tire-footrest for himself, letting Gabe’s feet hit the ground with an amusing thud.</p>
<p>“Zelda wanted me to ask you if you wanted to see her show. She’s getting tickets for everyone.” He pulled out his phone and handed it to Gabe.</p>
<p>Gabe looked down at the text and chuckled, reading it aloud. “Ask Gabe if he wants to come too. But don’t be weird about it because I don’t want him to feel obligated. I just wanted to ask. But if he doesn’t want to go, that’s fine. I was just offering.” Gabe shook his head, amused. “Tell her I’ll go Friday night with Pipit. Maybe I can translate some of it for him, if he’s interested in actually paying attention to something other than the girls.”</p>
<p>Link snorted and glanced back into the electronics shop. “He’s going because he’s a good friend. He’s not going to have any clue what’s happening. We have no accommodations at our school. There won’t be a translator <em>at all</em>. And I’m afraid that I might not be much help.”</p>
<p>“She converted you into a theater-lover?”</p>
<p>Link let it sit for a moment before speaking. “Just a Zelda-lover.”</p>
<p>Gabe’s eyebrows shot up. “First time saying that?”</p>
<p>Nodding sheepishly, Link wrung his hands together. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>Feeling a hard clap on his shoulder, Link winced while Gabe casually leaned back in his chair. “You deserve it.” Gabe watched Link’s reactionless expression before leaning forward again and hitting his arm a little harder. “Agree with me, Link, or you don’t get another car to fix.”</p>
<p>Anxiously running his hand across his face, Link nodded, though he couldn’t say it aloud. But it was a step.</p>
<p>“Good. Now go clean up your shit and you can go home for the rest of the night. Take a shower. You reek.”</p>
<p>This time, Link smiled, nodding as he got off the tire and rolled it towards Gabe for his feet to return.</p>
<p>And Gabe feigned interest in his book as he watched Link tidy up. <em>Gods, </em>he thought. He really was going to miss him one day when he graduated from the local college and went on to bigger things.</p>
<p>But he returned to his book with a smile. Because <em>that </em>was exactly what he wanted Link to do.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Chapter 33</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda sat in a circle with the rest of the cast in the small exercise room that was just a hallway’s length away from backstage. They could already hear the excited clamoring of an auditorium filling up with playgoers. They were each humming lowly to themselves, a warmup.</p><p>Then, Mr. Ezlo led them in another. “Repeat after me: To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark, dock, in a pestilential prison, with a life-long lock, awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp, shock, from a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block!”</p><p>They did several times before he nodded his approval. “And now: the lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue, enunciate, articulate, exaggerate! I want to hear those T’s!”</p><p>Again and again they repeated it, faster and faster until the words were a buzz of sounds more than anything else, a din of noise but nothing discernable as everyone began to burst into bouts of nervous laughter.</p><p>Mr. Ezlo stood up and gestured for everyone to follow him. He looked around at the students in costumes and nodded, proud. “For some of you, this is your last musical in high school. I hope you will return for the Spring play, but if you choose not to, then know that it has been an honor to watch you grow into fine young adults. And you’ll get to hear the part of my speech that makes you cry only if you come back for Spring, so that’s my motivation to you.”</p><p>Zelda crossed her arms and felt a stray tear threaten her eye, which she hastily wiped away before it could be ruined. What if she never got to hear the rest of his speech because she didn’t audition for the next play?</p><p>“Okay everyone, hands in!”</p><p>Zelda felt Revali’s hand over hers, and she shot him a cautious look. He met her stare and nodded, a truce for the sake of the play, if nothing else. And though she hated to admit it, it did make her feel better.</p><p>Mr. Ezlo started bouncing their hands as he began to chant. “Oooh, I feel so good like I knew I would; oooh I feel so good! Come on! Oooh! I feel so good like I knew I would; oooh I feel so good!”</p><p>Louder.</p><p>A whisper.</p><p>A shout and a dance break.</p><p>The entire company was laughing and crashing into each other with excitement. Zelda felt Revali actually steady her as she bounced once with too much enthusiasm, and she laughed while she thanked him, refreshingly familiar, simple, like they used to be.</p><p>“Okay you guys, get your finishing touches and then get to your places! We’ll be on in about five minutes now.”</p><p>“Zelda!” Revali called, stopping her from leaving.</p><p>Zelda watched Ruto give him a strangely dirty look before leaving them alone. “Yes?”</p><p>“This year has been hard for us so far, but I wanted to tell you that I’m hoping you and I can put that aside for the show. Our last few run throughs have been…” he struggled for the word.</p><p>“Awkward,” Zelda provided.</p><p>Revali smirked and nodded. “Very. But I wanted to tell you to break a leg tonight.”</p><p>Zelda scoffed unsure if he was being serious or not. She turned to the door and saw Darunia and Sidon waiting. She offered them both a smile before returning her attention to Revali. “Sure,” she said, backing away. “Break a leg, too, Revali.”</p><p>As she approached the door, Darunia and Sidon clapped her on the back. “Breathe,” Darunia said when he saw her wringing her hands.</p><p>She chuckled breathlessly, looking between them as Revali joined. Most of their old group together again, even only for a few seconds, it felt good.</p><p>“I miss you,” she admitted to them. Revali knew he wasn’t a part of ‘you’ in this case.</p><p>Darunia didn’t hesitate before pulling her into a rock-solid hug. “I missed you, too! I thought you were mad at us!”</p><p>“Not at <em>you</em>,” she said, melting into him. His hugs were some of the best.</p><p>“At me,” Revali answered with a chuckle, lighthearted, if that were even possible. Sidon whacked his chest.</p><p>“I miss hanging out with you, Zelda,” Darunia said. It was genuine and mixed with hurt. “How’s Link?” And though he said it without disgust or hate or fear, it was clearly a reminder of the reason they all broke apart.</p><p>“He’s great. He’s here tonight. Actually, he bought tickets for every show day, poor thing. I don’t think he really likes musicals, so it’s really nice of him.” Her eyes flicked to Revali, waiting for a comment about Link using that opportunity to burn down the school or something, but he mercifully stayed quiet. And she wondered if the look Sidon was giving him had anything to do with it.</p><p>She felt her phone vibrate in her costume pocket but didn’t pull it out yet.</p><p>“We’re going to get into places. Some of us have to enter right away in this show,” Revali said with a playful wink before leaving with Sidon.</p><p>Darunia gave her a hug. “I’ve been trying to talk to him. I really do want you to hang out with us again. Even if you’re with Link.”</p><p>Zelda tightened her grip on him. “Even if Revali and I can’t fix anything, I <em>will</em> hang out with you again, Darunia.”</p><p>“Good. I have to go too, but I’ll see you in a bit.”</p><p> Zelda smiled as they left her, and she pulled out her phone, a little overwhelmed. She rested against the hallway wall, not needed on stage for a while yet, and checked the message. It was from Link.</p><p><em>“Have you ever taken a bad picture?”</em> he asked, sending her a picture of her headshot from the pamphlet.</p><p>She shook her head and laughed.</p><p>Link could almost hear her laughing when he got her response. “<em>Turn off your phone! You’re in a theater.”</em></p><p>He turned to the massive crew who’d assembled for her and (because now he could) took a selfie with himself in it before sending it to her. He looked at everyone’s faces in the background, chuckling at their candid expressions.</p><p>He sat beside Ilia, who was near Makeela, then Pipit, Gabe, Aryll, and Ilia’s father, Bo rounded out the row of them.</p><p>Zelda sent back a heart emoji just before the lights flickered, and Link handed Ilia his phone. She rolled her eyes and turned it off for him, demonstrating how. He was so used to his old phone where he’d simply hold down the end button a few seconds and it was off, but that wasn’t the case for this new one. He slipped it back into his pocket and got comfortable in his seat.</p><p>The show started with Revali, and Link scoffed to himself, really remembering for the first time that Revali was the lead of this show and that he’d signed on for three days of watching the peacock strut around the stage. But if he ever had to give Revali one single compliment in his entire life, it was that he did know how to sing, and he was good at it. That made the scenes without Zelda mildly tolerable.</p><p>From the corner of his eye, he could see Pipit passing a clipboard between him and Makeela, and then him to Gabe, and then all the way to Ilia. Link glanced at it when it neared him. Most of it had to do with the plot or the quality of the singers and the acting. One comment was definitely Makeela’s handwriting, complaining about missing his little whiteboard. Pipit truly was a champ for attending at all.</p><p>But gods, when Zelda came on stage, Link’s heart leapt. He’d seen her in her costume before but watching her strut across the stage with a gait that was entirely not her own, a different confidence that didn’t belong to her but to her character, an attitude that she projected… he was in awe.</p><p>Her first song was immediate, and Link hadn’t heard her sing in some time. She kept eye contact with the audience as a whole, never finding him specifically, or anyone it seemed. There were a few people up there who looked liked they could have been looking straight into his soul, that’s how eerie their eye contact was.</p><p>But Zelda swapped her attention between the audience, and the stage full of males in the company, ogling her, as they were meant to for her character. He did humorously note that two of them were females with a hat, not enough men to fill the stage. He wished he’d been told. He’d have signed up for this <em>one</em> scene for Zelda to straddle and tease him as she made her way through the song and then straight to Revali.</p><p>Link… gods, perhaps for the first time… felt a <em>genuine</em> wave of jealousy rush through him. It was a foreign burning sensation. He’d felt it before, but it had always been light, an annoying buzz that he struggled to ignore. But not this time.</p><p>He could hear Ilia chuckle. Apparently, his face was betraying him.</p><p>“Shut up,” he muttered to her.</p><p>And though he’d seen it in rehearsal before, watching Revali kiss her a bit too passionately, as the role required, just reminded him of the night he’d picked Zelda up from Darunia’s party, upset with how Revali had kissed her.</p><p>And the next time he saw her kiss Revali, it was tender and reserved. And Link just sat back, gently pulling at his hair to avoid the tightness in his chest<em>. </em>It had nothing to do with Zelda herself. Before he even knew <em>her</em>, he’d known that she and Revali had been doing scenes like this for years. It was just… textbook jealousy.</p><p>But then she sang again, and it was beautiful. And he caught sight of Pipit’s clipboard with the words, “Oh yeah, she can sing” written in Makeela’s handwriting.</p><p>And then, Link was invested in the whole show, still shocked that a show about a murderer would be performed at their school who wouldn’t even let Zelda wear her uniform incorrectly for a moment.</p><p>By the end of the show, Link realized he was going to struggle through his torrents of jealous emotions for the next two show days. Because while he never once wavered in his trust of Zelda, it still didn’t feel <em>good</em> to watch her with Revali. Then again, Link found out that he hated Revali <em>even more</em> when he caressed Zelda and then stabbed her twice with a fake knife before slowly and heart breakingly slitting her throat.</p><p>Even though it was fake, and Zelda had told him several times all about how cool the knife was because there was a small opening in the tip that basically let out some paint to look like blood, he still struggled to listen to her and to watch her act out her own death.</p><p>When she came out for her bow at the end of the show, she’d cleaned up the fake blood, and half the audience was already standing and clapping. And her smile was wide and proud when she took her bow before stepping back for Revali to get the final cast bow when the rest of the audience stood.</p><p>When the cast was off stage and the lights went on, everyone filed into the foyer that Link used to so diligently clean.</p><p>“She was so good,” Ilia said, grabbing Link’s arm excitedly.</p><p>Makeela nodded. “I’m so glad I’m seeing this again Sunday.”</p><p>Link grinned, glad she was too. They were all off to the side, trying to avoid being spotted by Zelda’s parents, though he hadn’t seen them yet. And Gabe was close, as was Aryll and Bo. He was surrounded by support for once, and it made the thought of accidently bumping into them less intimidating.</p><p>He watched Makeela get tired of waiting and dragged Pipit to a large glass case full of trophies as she stole his clipboard from him, switching between pointing and writing.</p><p>And then he felt someone crash into his arms.</p><p>He grunted at the intense impact, but he tightened his grip and buried his face in her hair. She was so familiar to him now that he could have kept his eyes closed and still known it was her.</p><p>“Gods, Zel, you were incredible.”</p><p>He felt her laugh into him before pulling away. She was still in her last costume and her over-the-top makeup. She was sweating a little bit and reached into her pocket to pull out an elastic to tie her hair up before hugging Ilia next.</p><p>“Thank you for coming!”</p><p>“Of course!” she said, giving Zelda a squeeze. “It was so good. <em>You </em>were good! You really surprised me! I’ve never gone to a play, so I was impressed!”</p><p>“Oh thanks!” Zelda bit her lip in excitement and turned to Link again, directing her smile at him before hearing the familiar low voice of Gabe.</p><p>“Hey, Zelda! I’m glad you invited me. This was something else. You were so good. I almost cried a few times you sang.”</p><p>“Thanks,” she said, blushing wildly at the praise.</p><p>“He’s not joking. I watched,” Aryll said, moving to hug Zelda as well. “Great job. I know why Link was so excited. You’re a good dancer.”</p><p>“Aryll,” Link groaned, but Zelda just laughed and received a polite compliment from Bo.</p><p>Makeela noticed that Zelda had come back and threw herself at her best friend, picking her up and swinging her excitedly while Zelda yelped and laughed. And she talked so quickly, and with such high, endless praise that Link almost had to tune it out just so he could use some of his brain again.</p><p>“<em>Great job, Zelda,”</em> Pipit signed, tucking the clipboard under his arm. “<em>At least, it looked like you did a good job. The orchestra was great! I liked the beat. I can feel that much, if not the noise.”</em></p><p>She pulled him into a hug before stepping back to sign. “<em>Thank you so much for coming. You know you didn’t have to.”</em></p><p>“<em>I support my friends,” </em>he said simply. But then, with a gesture to the trophy case behind them, he chuckled. <em>“Might have been easier if you were playing a sport though. I hear you and Makeela play volleyball. I don’t hate sports, and I usually don’t need to hear what’s going on.”</em></p><p><em>“You want to come to our games?” </em>Zelda asked, beaming.</p><p>She turned to see Link’s expression, which was just smug.</p><p>She felt another set of arms around her, and leaned backwards into Darunia, needing no prompting to recognize him. “Great job tonight, Zelda!”</p><p>“You too!”</p><p>And there were several more minutes of praises and admiration that was showered over her. Even Revali had walked by to say well done before going to his family. She took pictures with everyone, with individuals, with groups. Link kept taking candids of her, which mostly resulted in her making strange faces as she spoke, which made him chuckle.</p><p>Zelda had been so excited that everyone came, but her eyes kept darting around for two more.</p><p>She took a few steps away from everyone and gestured to the crowd. “I’m going to go see if I can find them.”</p><p>The crowd was thick, and Zelda carefully maneuvered around family photos and scampered between conversations. There was a mob of people to get through, but she traversed it, feeling her heart sink further with every step. And when she finally pushed the doors open to the front of the school, hoping they were waiting outside for her to avoid the crowd, they weren’t there.</p><p>They weren’t there.</p><p>It hit Zelda harder than she thought. For some reason, she’d had faith that they’d put work aside. For a show that ran to be just about the same time as a movie, she thought her parents could have given her that.</p><p>The air was too cold in that revelation, and she hugged her arms around herself, realizing she needed someone else’s, not just her own, so she headed back to the group who had shown up for her and walked straight into Link’s chest.</p><p>She could literally feel his chest tighten as he looked around. He didn’t need her to tell him. His arms snaked around her and kept her locked in a firm embrace, just what she needed. She breathed him in. He was real and here and <em>they </em>weren’t.</p><p>And tears stung her eyes at the thought.</p><p>She pushed out of his arms after only a few seconds. He looked her over, his thumb gingerly chasing a tear away from her eye.</p><p>She pulled away, pushing loose strands of hair from her face as she gestured to the hallway that led to their dressing rooms. “I’ll be back,” she muttered, clearing her throat. “I have to go get out of this costume. Will you be here?”</p><p>“I will.”</p><p>And he was.</p><p>They all were.</p><p>Everyone but her own parents.</p><p>Zelda was in leggings and a long-sleeved baggy shirt, her hair retied out of her eyes, and her face clean of the eccentric makeup—which she was thankful for, because the second she returned to the foyer, now almost empty of families, hers were still not to be found and more tears fell.  </p><p>Her phone had one missed text from her mother from around halfway through the show: “<em>We’re running late. Might miss your show tonight.” </em></p><p>One deep breath wasn’t enough for Zelda to find the air she needed. She dropped the phone into her pocket and hurried out of the dressing room before anyone could notice that she’d begun to cry again.</p><p>“Hey,” Link murmured when she reached him again. His hand was running up and down her arm almost immediately.</p><p>“Can I stay with you tonight?”</p><p>His head was bobbing, but his eyes flicked up to Aryll, not quite for permission, but questioning all the same.</p><p>Aryll joined them and put a hand on Zelda’s back. “Of course you can come over. You can stay as long as you need to.”</p><p> “Do you want me to drive you home to get a few things?” Link offered. “I’ll drive your car for you if you want. Or you can come straight over and we can just give you whatever you need.” He wiped another tear from her eye and pressed his forehead to hers, trying to lighten the mood with his tone. “Either way, it might be hard for you to drive if you’ve got tears in your eyes though.”</p><p>An attempted smile spread across her lips, but it wasn’t enough. “How’d you get here?”</p><p>“Aryll.”</p><p>Link took Zelda’s hand with the keys and let his palm rest underneath hers, silently offering again. He could feel her fingertips unable to stay still, and she dropped the keys into his hand.</p><p>“Yeah, thanks. I think I want to get some things.”</p><p>None of them saw Revali, Sidon, and Darunia watching everything as their group started to trickle out of the building.</p><p>Link didn’t notice much of anything except for Zelda’s uncharacteristically blank expression.</p><p>On the ride to her house, he held her hand, though neither of them said a word. He glanced at her when he could. Her head was resting against the window, sure to leave a large print. And when he pulled her car into the driveway, he hurried to help her out and to walk her inside.</p><p>When they got into the garage, he heard Zelda choke back a new sob. Neither of their cars were there.</p><p>He could read her expression. A part of her still hoped that they’d be here when she arrived, perhaps with flowers or just a simple apology, but there was nothing.</p><p>Zelda barely managed to get the alarm code in before collapsing onto the couch in the dark room, letting out a broken cry and clutching her shirt.</p><p>Link’s hand had been on the light switch, so he flipped it up and dropped beside Zelda, unsure what to say, so doing the only thing he knew. He held her as close as he could.</p><p>There was a long stretch of time where Zelda couldn’t manage anything but tears and strangled, broken noises, but he held her through it, knowing her well enough to know that it was enough. His arm was sticky with her tears and, he suspected, some snot. But until she calmed down, he had no intention of moving.</p><p>“W—” she finally managed. “Why?”</p><p>Link didn’t bother asking what she meant; he knew she’d continue. He just let his fingers run through her hair again and again.</p><p>“Why couldn’t… Why am I not enough?”</p><p>Link bit the inside of his cheek before resting his lips against her hair. “You are.”</p><p>“I just wanted my mom and dad for three hours,” she cried. Her voice cracked over several of the words. “They love working more than they love me, so why do I still love <em>them</em>?” she asked, more desperate this time.</p><p>Tears were stinging the backs of Link’s eyes, his chest getting tighter with every pained noise she made. “It’s hard not to sometimes, even when you want to hate them.”</p><p>Zelda struggled to take a breath in, her chest hopping with the effort. “Do… do you love your parents?”</p><p>Link adjusted Zelda against him and threaded his fingers through hers, keeping her wrapped in his arms all the while.</p><p>“I think… I think that if my mom were to come here right now and ask me to live with her, I’d say yes. I don’t know if that’s love or if it’s just desperation though. I’d have to be put into that situation to be sure.”</p><p>“Is there a difference?” Zelda asked, finally wiping her eyes with her free hand.  </p><p>“Yeah,” he whispered. And gods, he wanted to say it to her now. He wanted to say he knew the difference because of her. And he wished he’d said it earlier because now would be the time to remind her that she was loved. But he couldn’t say it now. He couldn’t turn this into something about him, and he didn’t know if it was inappropriate to turn it into something about them, so he opted for silence yet again.</p><p>She let out a heavy sigh again and gestured to the stairs. “I’ll be back in a minute.”</p><p>Link felt the couch jostle as she stood up and he listened to her footsteps until she was upstairs.</p><p>It was eerily quiet in her house, none of the usual energy and life that came with his visits. Part of it, he suspected, was from Zelda. And did he ever know the feeling?</p><p>The sensation of his fingers through his hair was all that kept him grounded in the present as he saw his own mother behind his eyes, choosing her beautiful new family rather than the one she’d already written off as a failure. He remembered the sound of the door closing. It was different than other doors in his memory, and that was something he wasn’t sure if he’d made up, or if it had truly been a door unlike all others.</p><p>He remembered how she’d avoided using his name, dancing around it every time except for her initial gasp of surprise.</p><p>“<em>Listen, I’m going to give the police a call so they can get you home to your dad, okay. Just wait out here.”</em></p><p>And then he’d heard the young girl’s voice, a toddler, asking who was at the door. And then: “<em>Don’t worry, Mommy’s taking care of it. Go play with Daddy.” </em></p><p>“Fuck,” he muttered, standing up abruptly and wiping a stray tear off his cheek.</p><p>He remembered crying on the ride home that day, the kind of sobs that had driven his throat red and raw, like Zelda’s had been.</p><p>With that burning sensation clear in his memory, he opened three cupboards before finding the cups, and he reached up to grab the reusable water bottle he’d seen her use a few times at school. So, he rinsed it out and then filled it, setting it on the counter and stared at it for a long time.</p><p>Tissues.</p><p>He spun around, remembering seeing a few boxes last time he’d been over. And sure enough, there was an open box sitting on top of an unopened one. He grabbed the older one and put it beside the water.</p><p>When his father had kicked him out, what had been the first thing he’d done at Mikau’s?</p><p>Smoked.</p><p>Maybe not the best idea for Zelda. Definitely something he wished he was doing right now though.</p><p><em>Substitutes for smoking</em>, he thought to himself before spinning around to a cabinet he knew well from his time at her house. Snacks. He grabbed the box of Minish Fudge Cookies. He knew she liked these, though he couldn’t find their appeal, especially when they were each shaped like the Minish creatures on the box. It felt like eating tiny people to him.</p><p>But he set it beside the water and tried to think of anything else. He hurried over to her television and scanned the DVD’s that were stacked up on a bookshelf by the wall and pulled out her Season 1 copy of <em>Moonlight Howl </em>in case she needed something distracting. His computer was old enough that it still had a disk drive built into it.</p><p>He didn’t have time to grab anything else. Zelda’s return was signaled by her heavy footsteps, like she couldn’t be bothered if she broke the stairs.</p><p>Her eyes stopped on the pile of things on the counter and she let out a short laugh, more of an airy breath and a genuine smile than anything too substantial.</p><p>Sheepishly, he grabbed the water bottle and held it out to her.</p><p>But she didn’t take it. Instead, she dropped her backpack down and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips against his cheek.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>“I’ve got you,” he whispered into her ear, the closest thing he could say to ‘I love you.’</p><p>When she pulled away, she gestured to her face, puffy and red. “Thank you, really. I’m sorry for all this.”</p><p>“Oh please,” Link scoffed, handing her the water bottle. “Drink this and don’t apologize again.”</p><p>“Can I at least say I’m sorry for getting snot on your arm?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>She took a swig, relishing the cool trail it left down her burning throat.</p><p>“Fine.”</p><p>Link grabbed her backpack off the ground and took the tissue box and <em>Moonlight Howl</em> while she took the water and cookies. “Got everything? You’re all set?”</p><p>“For now,” she muttered, hugging the water bottle and box against her. “I left a note on my bed saying I was with Makeela. I wish I could just run away but I can’t. I had to let them know I wasn’t kidnapped. I wonder how many hours it would be before they reported me if I was. Probably a full day. They’d just assume I was out.”</p><p>Link set his items back down and turned to Zelda. And without warning, Link’s arms were around her knees as he hoisted her up, gripping the back of her waistband to keep her steady while she let out a playful shriek and then a bubbling of laughter as her ponytail flopped into her face again and again while she rested over Link’s shoulder like one would carry a sack.</p><p>“What are you doing?” she asked, fighting to speak around giggles.</p><p>“Kidnapping you properly.”</p><p>He let go of her waistband when she stopped squirming, and though he knew he could keep hold of her with just one hand, he played it safe and supported his arm with his other.</p><p>“Mind grabbing my things?” he asked, spinning them around so he was facing the wall and she was looking at the counter. He could feel her stomach bouncing with surpressed giggles again as she reached for the box of tissues and the DVD, tucking them both with the cookies pinned between her arm and Link.</p><p>He let one hand go for a moment as he shrugged her backpack up his other shoulder before returning his hand to her. “Need to do anything to your alarm?”</p><p>“I can set it from my phone,” she said, still hanging over his shoulder, but resigned and accepting that this was how she was going to the car.</p><p>“Need anything else then?” he asked, spinning so she could see the room.</p><p>She started laughing again. “No, just go to the car so I can get down.”</p><p>He headed out the door, again holding her with one arm so he could lock her house door for her, before bringing her back to her side of the car.</p><p>“Going down,” he warned, bending so her feet touched the pavement before letting her go. He wrung out his shoulder with a playfully pained look on his face, not real at all except for the dull ache where the corner of one of her boxes had been pressed into his skin.</p><p>“Shut up,” she laughed, throwing the pile of things into the backseat before sliding into the passenger side of the car.</p><p>On the ride to Link’s house, it was much easier to breathe. Zelda could actually feel Link’s hand slide in and out of hers as he alternated between holding it tightly and needing to use it to actually drive. She didn’t lean on the window, instead, she tried to keep her tired eyes ahead while they listened to the Indigo-Go’s on the radio. Still, they barely talked, but it was a comfortable silence, resolve settled in Zelda’s gut rather than apprehension.</p><p>Aryll was waiting on the front steps when Link parked the car, her hear perking up when she saw them both approach.</p><p>“How are you doing?” she asked Zelda, standing up to let them pass.</p><p>“Better, I think. Not… not great, but better.”</p><p>“Okay,” Aryll said, a wide, calming smile on her face. “We’ll talk tomorrow then. I’m going to my rom for the night. Try to sleep well, okay?”</p><p>“Thanks Aryll.”</p><p>Zelda laid in Link’s bed, content to sleep in her leggings and loose shirt for the night rather than totally changing. Link had opted to change in the bathroom while he brushed his teeth, which Zelda had done at her house before going back downstairs. She sent Makeela a few messages, assuring her that she was doing better. Makeela offered Zelda to come over every now and then to stay, but she knew that too often and her own parents would become suspicious.</p><p>Between her lack of sleep the night before from nerves for the play, and her tired, puffy eyes from crying, to the headache she’d given herself, she’d fallen asleep before Link even returned.</p><p>When he did, he stood in the doorway for a moment, happy to see her with a peaceful look on her face before he took her phone from her hands and set it on his nightstand just beside her head before climbing over her to the space she’d left for him. His movement had her groaning, as if she’d been asleep for hours and he’d woken her.</p><p>“Sorry,” he whispered, chuckling to himself when she made another noise of acknowledgement. Even <em>this</em> was new to him, to them both, and he felt like it was completely new territory.</p><p>They were facing each other, and though Zelda’s eyes never re-opened, she reached her hand out until she fumbled into Link’s, only their hands touching, as she drifted off.</p><p>Link couldn’t say he was that too tired, but he let his eyes close, if only to rest his eyes until he could actually fall asleep. His thumb brushed back and forth along Zelda’s hand, wishing that there was something he could do to loosen the slight wrinkle that had been in her brow, but knowing that it wasn’t something he’d ever be able to fix, even if he could distract her forever.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh, I totally ripped off my old theater's warm ups here. I have no idea if they came from somewhere, but I'm not crafty enough to write a tongue twister.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Chapter 34</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Makeela was flopped upside down on her bed, staring at the ceiling intently. There were little neon stars and a moon scattered along the expansive white ceiling, old remnants of putty still clung to the paint from where several old stars had once fallen.</p>
<p>“Tell me one more time,” she begged for the third time.</p>
<p>Zelda rolled her eyes as she typed out her essay on her laptop. It was more and more difficult to finish the last few words every time she had to repeat her story. She’d gone over to Makeela’s before the show to try and give Link a break from her, especially since she had plans to return that night. Makeela had prematurely offered for Zelda to stay over that night, but her parents had said no to a sleepover that night, not with Makeela’s grandmother coming over later in the day and leaving her remembering <em>that</em> was the reason she couldn’t go to the show in the first place.  </p>
<p>“Ruto is dating Ravio. Get it in your head so I can finish this.”</p>
<p>With a sharp breath, Makeela shook her head, her eyes tracing the outline of each star. “And Darunia texted you to tell you? Damn, I missed so much by not being in that play last night. She’s going to get herself into some trouble.”</p>
<p>“And it’s our fault,” Zelda muttered, mistyping a citation.</p>
<p>If only she’d let Ruto in on what kind of boyfriend Ravio was earlier, then she wouldn’t feel the crushing weight of guilt.</p>
<p>“It’s not. It was private.”</p>
<p>“I feel bad for Darunia,” Zelda whispered, retyping the conclusion paragraph when she realized she’d literally typed out ‘our fault’ as she’d spoken. She was <em>not </em>a good multi-tasker, but she had to get all her work done.</p>
<p>Makeela grabbed Zelda’s phone, going to check social media for some kind of scoop on the whole situation. But she gasped instead, and Zelda spun around. “What?”</p>
<p>“Damn, Zelda!”</p>
<p>“What?” Zelda asked again, though this time, her heart sped up.                  </p>
<p>“Goddess, you and Link are raunchy!” she laughed, and Zelda could see her scrolling through her texts.</p>
<p>“Makeela! Don’t read my texts with him!”</p>
<p>Makeela scooted far from Zelda’s grasp and started to laugh. “Oh, <em>that’s </em>what you want him to do to you?”</p>
<p>Zelda’s face burned. “I’ve never said that so you’re just being mean. Give it back!”</p>
<p>“He’s okay if you need to rehearse a few of your scenes before the show, you know?”</p>
<p>“I know. I responded to him while he was sitting right in front of me at breakfast and I told him that he had interesting thoughts. You can see most of that right there. Now give it back.”</p>
<p>She kept scrolling. “Oh damn, he’s ripped.”</p>
<p>Burying her face in her hand, Zelda waved her outstretched one wildly. “What picture could you possibly be talking about?”</p>
<p>“Girl, I can see your shoulders in the next one. Were you suntanning in fall? I think not! Racy response, my friend.”</p>
<p>Zelda set down her laptop and moved behind Makeela to see what she was referring to, letting out a breath that it wasn’t nearly as bad as she thought, thinking that she’d accidently sent an <em>actually </em>scandalous picture by accident.</p>
<p>“If you were reading the texts that give context, you’d know that I’m making fun of what Mrs. Joy might say if she saw my shirt that had no shoulder straps. That’s all. And Link has unfortunately never sent me a shirtless picture, so I assume you’re looking at something far less interesting too.”</p>
<p>“Ask him for a picture if you want one. I highly doubt he’d say no.”</p>
<p>Zelda picked up her laptop again and shook her head, completely stressed out by this conversation. “If I wanted, I could just…” Zelda stopped herself before finishing her thought. Before the image of her going into Link’s room and just pulling his shirt off could get lodged in her brain for too long and with too much detail.</p>
<p>Her hands went back to the keyboard, looking for something to keep them occupied. She finished the conclusion and hit print, sending it to Makeela’s printer, which she thankfully had.</p>
<p>“Okay, who are you going to Winter Formal with?” Zelda asked, quickly searching the internet for dress ideas. “Because I’ve got Link this time, so I can’t actually be your date unless you want to make it a group and bring everyone we still hang out with.”</p>
<p>“We can add Darunia,” Makeela suggested. “If he’s been slighted by Ruto, he might want a group.”</p>
<p>“He only used to hang out with you and I. He didn’t like Link, and I doubt he knows who Ilia even is.”</p>
<p>“Let’s bring Pipit,” Makeela tried. “I might have mentioned dances at the show and he said he’d never been.”</p>
<p>Zelda shot her a bland look.</p>
<p>“What? He said he likes the beat of music. He might like it.”</p>
<p>“You and Link might not be best friends, but I’m glad you ended up bonding with Ilia and Pipit.”</p>
<p>Makeela shot her a wide smile and rolled onto her stomach. “I want to go to Hyrule Energized. Will Mr. Ezlo kill you?”</p>
<p>“If he sees me, yes,” Zelda chuckled. “But I don’t even care. This play… I don’t even want to go tonight. I just want to… honestly, I just want to go to school.”</p>
<p>“That’s a sure sign of a rough day.”</p>
<p>“Tell me about it.”</p>
<p>Zelda and Makeela both slid into their shoes and were quickly out the door, pressed to get to Hyrule Energized before Makeela had to return for her grandmother.</p>
<p>They parked, went in, and ordered.</p>
<p>And saw Darunia, Revali, and Sidon at one of the tables.</p>
<p>Zelda eyed Makeela, quickly—and silently—asking if they should be ignoring the group.</p>
<p>“Zelda! Makeela!” Darunia called with a wide grin and wild wave.</p>
<p>Well, decision made.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Zelda said, standing beside his chair. “I guess we all wanted to live on the edge before a show.”</p>
<p>She could see Revali take a breath, to begin to respond to her, but he stopped himself and opted for silence.</p>
<p>Zelda could feel the awkward tension in the air, thick despite the short time.</p>
<p>“How’s the Goron Donut? They’re always out when I’m willing to try one,” Zelda said, noticing the nearly eaten one in Darunia’s hand.</p>
<p>“Oh, they’re delicious! You should try to get ahold of one. I can’t believe they’re nearly out of season!”</p>
<p>“Oh, are they?”</p>
<p>Zelda clicked her tongue as they fell silent again.</p>
<p>Other tables were a murmur like static on a broken television. The hiss of a coffee maker behind the counter was a scream. The workers at the window repeated the phrase: “Hi, welcome to Hyrule Energized, would you like to try a Go… our daily special?” until Zelda’s mind was echoing it with them.</p>
<p>“How’s everything?” Makeela tried, halfhearted and vague.</p>
<p>“Listen,” Revali blurted out, his attention on Zelda. “I deleted that picture of you, okay? I wanted you to know that. You can look at my phone. I did what he wanted. I got it off their phones too.”</p>
<p>Zelda hesitated. “I… I don’t want to go through your phone.” In truth, she believed him. If she had ever known Revali at all, then she knew that he often meant the things he said, which was why so much of this hurt so badly. “<em>Your</em> phone? What <em>he </em>wanted? I don’t… I don’t know what you’re talking about right now.”</p>
<p>Sidon let out a deep, annoyed sigh. It was almost as if he’d warned Revali in the past not to bring this up, and like s bird brain, Revali had simply forgotten.</p>
<p>So, Zelda’s confusion confused him. “I assume your boyfriend told you I had your picture on my phone, too. Me, Ruto, and Rav.”</p>
<p>Makeela let out an audible gasp, but Zelda had assumed as much. It was a surprise, nonetheless. “What did Link tell you to do?”</p>
<p>Revali sat back with his arms crossed, debating if he should surrender some of his pride or not. And with a brief look up at Zelda, he figured it was worth dropping a few points on the pride scale.</p>
<p>“He told me to fix it, or he would.”</p>
<p>Zelda had to fight through a confused mix of emotions. She appreciated everything Link had done, but she also knew that if Revali hadn’t ‘fixed it,’ Link would have risked his freedom by doing something stupidly illegal just to defend her from Ravio and Ruto.</p>
<p>If Revali noticed her hesitation, he didn’t show it.</p>
<p>“I just thought you should know that Rav was trying to edit your picture when I deleted it. Make it worse.”</p>
<p>“Worse?”</p>
<p>“Edit… edit some <em>things</em> out.”</p>
<p>Zelda shuddered as she met Revali’s eyes. His warning was genuine, and his eyes didn’t waver from hers.</p>
<p>“Are you serious?” Makeela balked. “I’ll beat his ass so hard if he even thinks—”</p>
<p>“Stop,” Zelda said calmly, grabbing Makeela’s arm. “The picture is gone, and I don’t want anyone to get into a fight because of me.” But she ran a hand through her hair, grabbing it tightly before turning to Revali. “Okay. Thanks for letting me know, I guess.”</p>
<p>Darunia reached out and looked at her sadly. “Don’t worry, Zelda. He’s distracted now.”</p>
<p><em>Ruto</em>.</p>
<p>“Darunia,” Zelda said, suddenly remembering his plight. “I’m so sorry about—”</p>
<p>“It’s fine. She never got the hint, and she would rather be with <em>him</em>.”</p>
<p>Zelda’s eyes darted to Makeela and Revali. “Ruto doesn’t know…</p>
<p>“No, just the lies we spread about you,” Revali said, cutting her off. “I already told these two the truth. That you did nothing wrong.”</p>
<p>Zelda ran her hands through her hair. She wasn’t ready for this dose of Revali. She wasn’t ready to deal with Ruto, or Ravio or revenge schemes. She just… needed a minute.</p>
<p>“I’ll watch out for her,” Makeela offered with a grimace. She wanted to get close to Ruto just as much as Zelda did.</p>
<p>“No,” Sidon said, “I’ll keep an eye on them. They don’t hate me.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Zelda agreed.</p>
<p>Then the table fell silent again.</p>
<p>“I’m… we’re going to go,” Zelda finally said, breathing as she gestured to the door. “I just… I want to drink this as far from the show as possible.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Darunia said with a friendly wave. “We’ll see you tonight! And Makeela…”</p>
<p>“You’ll see me tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“See you then!”</p>
<p>And hurrying away, Zelda let out the longest breath she’d ever held while coming away from one of the most awkward conversations she’d ever had.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After the show, Zelda had sprawled out on the couch with a book she’d found in Link’s room while he took a shower. She needed one as well, covered in glittery makeup from the show that she hadn’t bothered to take off yet.</p>
<p>She could hear Aryll on the phone in her room, chatting happily with someone, so Zelda had grabbed her headphones that she’d remembered to take from her room when she’d packed. She hummed to herself, a little sick of actually singing, as she read. She didn’t actually know before this what kind of books Link read, if any. But she was pleasantly surprised to find that she enjoyed his taste in fiction.</p>
<p>When the door to the bathroom opened and movement caught her eye, she looked up and <em>immediately</em> regretted it.</p>
<p>Link was just in one towel wrapped around his waist, still glistening with droplets of water from his shower. Zelda’s mouth went dry instantly as she watched him tauntingly make his way over to her couch and leaned against the wall. “Were you just sitting here waiting for me?”</p>
<p>She had to lick her lips just to make them work again, her eyes unable to meet his. “I… I was reading until you distracted me.”</p>
<p>“Am I a distraction?”</p>
<p>“A welcome one, but yes, you are.”</p>
<p>Link laughed and looked her over. “You’re covered in glitter. The shower is all yours.”</p>
<p>Zelda tossed the bookmark onto the page she was off on and ran her hand through her hair. “Shouldn’t you have…” but she lost her train of thought as a droplet of water fell from his hair and onto his chest. “…offered it to me first… if I’m the one covered in glitter?”</p>
<p>“We’re currently living together, technically. I think that means we have equal rights to the shower. And Aryll has some too, I guess.”</p>
<p>“I’m going to need an ice bath soon,” Zelda muttered, trying <em>so, so </em>hard to keep her eyes level with his.</p>
<p>And his eyes were anything but innocent when she managed to look at him. “What? It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”</p>
<p>Before just now, she’d seen him without a shirt all of one time. Zelda couldn’t remember when they’d reached this level of comfort with each other. It was something about <em>Link</em> that made her so playful and teasing with him. It obviously hadn’t stemmed from any salacious activities, no matter how much she wished it had been.</p>
<p>“Your sister is <em>right </em>there,” Zelda hissed, gesturing to Aryll’s room. “Go put something on.”</p>
<p>Snorting, Link winked at her before going back into his room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zelda rolled off the couch and grabbed the clothes she’d set out earlier and hurried into the shower before Link could return and do anything else to make her blush.</p>
<p>She took a long shower, not so long as to rack up their water bill, but long enough that she felt satisfied upon exiting.</p>
<p>Zelda almost felt like returning his taunt, but she didn’t want to become predictable. She imagined he was sitting in her spot, waiting to see what she’d do. So, she put her normal pajamas on—though she’d chosen a pair of shorts rather than sweatpants after realizing last night that Link put off a lot of body heat under the blankets.</p>
<p>And while her ensemble was far more than just a towel—though she did keep one draped across her shoulders—Link’s expression when she exited did not disappoint, his eyes drawn to her legs, which he so rarely saw without her uniform tights, leggings, or some other covering. But smooth and soft, he saw them now.</p>
<p>Zelda watched him set down the guitar he’d been strumming in favor of sitting up from his lounging position to watch her walk toward him. He was ready for the night in, though his hair still looked damp.</p>
<p>She grabbed her brush from her bag and set herself to detangling her long hair, sitting on the other side of the couch facing Link as she did. And Zelda stretched out her legs, a playfully flirtatious expression on her face as she kept running the brush through her tangles. Link got the hint and let his hands and fingers move experimentally around her legs. Though they were too far apart for him to even reach above her knee, they had fun all the same, giggling and snorting and making snarky remarks that turned into flirting.</p>
<p>And when she set the brush aside and tossed her shoulder towel to the floor, that flirting turned into Zelda lying on top of Link with his hands running along her back, her wet hair in his face, and her tongue in his mouth.</p>
<p>It was a lot.</p>
<p>But when Zelda pulled away, breathless and red, she leaned on his chest, watching him.</p>
<p>When he’d finally caught his breath, he shook his head, confused. “What?”</p>
<p>She smiled, affectionately running her hand through his hair.</p>
<p>“Thank you. For letting me stay, for being here, for all of it.”</p>
<p>Link made a face, one that said her thanks weren’t necessary.</p>
<p>“I mean it,” she pushed. “For all our jokes about this, I really do mean it when I say how much I appreciate you and Aryll letting me be here. Makeela would have let me, but her family will get suspicious and bring my parents into it before I’m ready.”</p>
<p>“And I mean it: stay as long as you want. We enjoy having you here. You don’t need to make yourself disappear either like you did today. I mean like, if you want to be here 24/7, that’s probably unhealthy, but it’s also fine with us.”</p>
<p>“I know what you mean. Thank you,” Zelda said, leaning back down against him. He moved the wet hair from her face and pushed it over her shoulder before pulling her closer. “I miss them.”</p>
<p>“Do you want me to bring you home?”</p>
<p>She nuzzled her face into his neck, comfortable and unwilling to move anyway. “No. I’m not ready yet. They’re probably not even home if they just think I’m with Makeela. Holodrum is next week, too.”</p>
<p>“It’ll be over anyway.”</p>
<p>Zelda scoffed. “Yeah, <em>this one </em>will be over.”</p>
<p>Link’s grip tightened again. “At least with you here, it’ll be easier getting to school and, hey, to the dance Friday, too.”</p>
<p>That had Zelda smiling. She was also glad she’d had the forethought to pack her uniform. “What are we going to do for <em>Moonlight Howl</em>, though? That’s coming back this Sunday.”</p>
<p>“I have faith that we can get creative.”</p>
<p>She nodded, but her face suddenly turned serious. Though she was still happy, she’d taken on a more pensive expression as she admiringly studied the lines of Link’s face, tracing them for good measure. He just laid below her, holding her tightly on the small couch, and let her have her fun while he watched her, occasionally closing his eyes either to enjoy the feeling of her fingers against him, or to let her get near his eyes, tracing his brow or running briefly over his eyelid.</p>
<p>“Link,” she said finally. “I love you.”</p>
<p>Link sat up a little, jostling her. It had to be an instinctual reflex action that had him grab her before he could half-fling her off the couch. “What?”</p>
<p>When she was sure she wasn’t going to fall, she started to chuckle. “I just thought you should know. Sorry for the abruptness.”</p>
<p>For another long moment, Link stared open-mouthed at her. “Zel,” he finally managed. “I’ve been trying to say that to you for weeks now.”</p>
<p>“What?” she laughed. It was a relived laugh, one that screamed her relief that her feelings weren’t refuted but reciprocated. “So why didn’t you?”</p>
<p>“I don’t… I don’t know, really. A lot of reasons. Fear. Nerves. Timing. I’ve never been in love before, so I wanted to be sure that’s what this feeling was. The internet says it is.”</p>
<p>That had Zelda laughing harder, this time genuine humor. “You looked it up? I can totally believe you did that, but also I’m somehow still surprised.”</p>
<p>“Well,” Link said with a comfortable smile reserved only for Zelda, “I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a heart attack or indigestion. You know, play it safe, maybe see my doctor first.”</p>
<p>“Oh gods,” she chuckled, leaning down to kiss him again, softer. “Here I am professing my love to you and you think you have indigestion.”</p>
<p>Link caught her lips again with a smile before pulling away just far enough to talk. “No, I already looked it up. Definitely not indigestion. Not dysentery either.”</p>
<p>“Gods, it was one time I said that!”</p>
<p>He started laughing harder, accidently bouncing her on his chest as he did.</p>
<p>The door opened and Zelda tried to scoot off Link, but his hands shot around her waist to keep her there as he lazily turned to Aryll.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” she muttered, hurrying from her room to the kitchen. “I’m just getting a drink then you two can… go back to it.”</p>
<p>“Hey, Aryll,” Link called, still not letting Zelda move even when she tried again to roll off the couch.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Did you know that I love Zelda?”</p>
<p>Zelda rolled her eyes and planted her red face into Link’s chest.</p>
<p>Aryll glanced at him as she poured her drink. She sarcastically cocked her eyebrow up. “Really? I couldn’t tell.”</p>
<p>“Are you just going to announce it to everyone?” Zelda asked, her voice muffled by his shirt.</p>
<p>Aryll snorted and went back into her room with a quick, “Bye lovebirds,” before shutting the door.</p>
<p>Link kept Zelda locked in place as he squirmed to reach his phone in his sweatpants pocket. He pulled rested his hands on Zelda’s back.</p>
<p>She tried to crane her neck to see what he was doing. “Link? You’re not serious, right? Are you texting someone? Not about us, right? Right?”</p>
<p>He chuckled and after a few moments of scrolling, he handed his phone to her.</p>
<p>It was a conversation between him and Pipit.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Do you think I should tell her I think I love her or is that too much?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What do I know?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s hard to get the words out though. Should I sign it to her?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Dunno man. Just make sure she’s looking at you or it doesn’t count.”</em>
</p>
<p>She checked the timestamp. Almost a week ago.</p>
<p>“Did you ever do it without me looking?” Zelda asked, handing the phone back.</p>
<p>“No, I chickened out.”</p>
<p>Humming a soft laugh, Zelda moved a single strand of hair from his face and shook her head. “I’m a little surprised you didn’t just scream it at me at some point.”</p>
<p>He chucked along with her. “I screamed it, just not out loud.”</p>
<p>“Aww, you’re cute, but that doesn’t count.”</p>
<p>Lightly pushing her off of him, Link rolled off the couch and stretched. “Move the party to my room?”</p>
<p>“Are we having a party?” she asked, following him.</p>
<p>He raised his eyebrow flirtatiously. “We can.”</p>
<p>But Zelda brushed past him, rolling her eyes as she did. “I have a show in a few hours, and your sister is two rooms away. No parties.”</p>
<p>“Small gathering?”</p>
<p>She snorted and threw herself onto the bed, wrapping herself in the loose comforter that had come off in the night. “What’s that even mean?”</p>
<p>Crawling onto the bed, he kissed her again and she got the idea behind his strange euphemism.</p>
<p>For all their suggestions, they were almost as soft with each other as a scene out of a teen movie rather than a scene out of <em>Moonlight Howl</em>. And the last thing Zelda heard before finally falling asleep was Link’s whispered words, finally spoken completely out loud.</p>
<p>“I love you.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Zelda hurried out from backstage after the final curtain call, a tear in her eye. This show had been the most challenging thing she’d ever gone through, from the drama with the cast, with the first half of the year, and with her parents. Relief washed over her when she’d bowed, but as she reached the foyer, she felt an immense sadness too. Despite it all, she was going to miss it. Her last musical in high school. Maybe her last musical ever.</p>
<p>Her tear fell.</p>
<p>“You were so good <em>again</em>!” Makeela crooned, grabbing Zelda excitedly. “I want a CD of you singing so I can play it when I need to cry because you make me <em>cry!”</em></p>
<p>Zelda made a face. “That’s strange.”</p>
<p>“You’re strange! Let me fawn over your talent, okay?”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Zelda laughed, letting Makeela hug her again.</p>
<p>When she pulled away, she grabbed Link, who was right beside Makeela. “Third time put you to sleep?”</p>
<p>“Nope,” he whispered, kissing the side of her neck before stepping away and grabbing something from his pocket. He held out a small button with the Moonlight Howl symbol on it. “I couldn’t find anything with theater things on it, so I opted for this as your last show day gift.”</p>
<p>She snorted as she took it in. “I love it. I’ll put it on when I’m out of my costume.” She looked down. “Speaking of, I might as well just change now. Not like I’m waiting for anyone else.”</p>
<p>As she headed back, she stopped for a moment just to look at the two most important people in her life. Too far away to speak, she shot them the sign for ‘I love you’ before heading back into the hallway.</p>
<p>Link and Makeela stood together against the wall while they waited.</p>
<p>“Wait,” Makeela muttered, mimicking the sign with her own hand. “Isn’t this ‘I love you’?”</p>
<p>“Yep.”</p>
<p>“Was she saying that to me? Or to you?”</p>
<p>“Probably both of us,” Link said simply, closing his eyes so he could keep the grin off his face as she grew flustered.</p>
<p>“Wait… both of us?”</p>
<p>“Yep.”</p>
<p>“To you?”</p>
<p>“Possibly.”</p>
<p>“Did she… have you two said you loved each other?”</p>
<p>This time, Link did laugh. “Makeela, you and Ilia did a terrible job of trying to figure it out. Her questions to me were so obvious, and you’re apparently just as bad. Last night we said it, yes. Please don’t start a business with Ilia someday. You won’t have any clients.”</p>
<p>“You knew that’s why she was asking? She said you were dodgy and didn’t answer most of her questions!”</p>
<p>Link’s grin cracked a little but more. “She’s fun to mess with.”</p>
<p>“Shoot,” Makeela said, grabbing her phone to text Ilia until Zelda’s return. She couldn’t be angry with Zelda for not letting her know. Earlier, she’d gotten a text from Link’s phone saying she’d forgotten to charge hers and would see her at the show and text Link’s phone with any problems.</p>
<p>When Zelda finally did return, she pinned the button onto her shirt and locked arms with the both of them as they headed out the door. There would be a cast party that Wednesday, and she still debated if she should go.</p>
<p>But thinking of that wasn’t why she stopped short in the parking lot.</p>
<p>Beside her car was her mother’s, and Arina Harkinian was standing outside her door, arms crossed and looking very angry.</p>
<p>“Fuck,” Link muttered. Not that he would, but he couldn’t take off if he wanted to. Aryll had dropped him off at the show on her way to visit Collin so he and Zelda could ride home together and Link wouldn’t need to lose his parking spot.</p>
<p>Makeela, however, <em>could </em>leave. “Want me to come with you guys?”</p>
<p>Zelda shook her head, tightening her grip on Link’s arm as she stared at her mother. “No, you leave. She thinks I’ve been with you, so you might get questioned.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Makeela said hesitantly. “Text me when you get your phone, okay?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Zelda breathed, watching Makeela head down the parking lot toward her car.</p>
<p>“Want me to hang back, or come with you?” Link offered.  </p>
<p>“Would you mind being my backup?”</p>
<p>“Of course not.”</p>
<p>Zelda took a deep breath and dragged Link with her towards her mother.</p>
<p>“You didn’t come inside to watch?” Zelda asked, her grip on Link’s arm an imperceptible vise.</p>
<p>Arina’s eyes darted to Link first, then to Zelda. “I came because you weren’t answering our calls or texts.”</p>
<p>“My phone is dead. I forgot to charge it.”</p>
<p>Nodding, Arina gestured vaguely to Link, a greeting of some sort before turning back to Zelda. “You’re coming home for the night now?” The way she said it made it less of a question and more of a threat.</p>
<p>“No. I don’t want to.”</p>
<p>“You don’t…” Arina scoffed and pushed her perfect hair back, a reflex more than a necessity. “You’ll come home tonight. There’s school in the morning.” This time, there was no mistaking it for a question.</p>
<p>Zelda let go of Link only so she could step forward. “I’m not coming home tonight only to wake up alone in the morning, come home alone after school, go to bed alone, and repeat that cycle all week. Then, you’re leaving for Holodrum and I’ll be alone <em>again</em>.”</p>
<p>“Come home tonight, Zelda, or there will be consequences. Are you staying with <em>him</em>?”</p>
<p> “No, I’ve been with Makeela. But <em>Link</em> and I are hanging out now because he’s come to all three shows, unlike some people I know.”</p>
<p>Her mother’s eyes narrowed at the comment. “You know how important this has been for your father and I. When they give us more work, we take it.”</p>
<p>“You know how important my show is to <em>me</em>!”</p>
<p>Zelda could feel herself shaking, her whole body threatening to spin out of control, double over, throw up, collapse. Her hands were especially noticeable.</p>
<p>But Arina simply pinched the bridge of her nose. “You have to come home, Zelda.”</p>
<p>With a brief glance at Link, Zelda let out a breath. “If you can tell me what’s happening Friday, I’ll come home.”</p>
<p>Arina’s mouth dropped open slightly and she scoffed, like she should never have to do this. “<em>Midnight Hollow</em> is on.”</p>
<p>Zelda made a choked noise and stepped closer to her car. “I’ll see you two when you come home from Holodrum.”</p>
<p>“I’m not gambling with you, Zelda. Come home or else.” Her eyes slid to Link. “You’re staying with him tonight, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>Link could see Zelda’s entire body quaking. Every now and then, he could see one of her legs shift abruptly as she swayed, steadying herself. He reached into his back pocket and—behind his back—discreetly pulled out his wallet. He felt around until he found Zelda’s pill before returning his wallet.</p>
<p>“Yeah, mom, I’m staying with Link tonight. And his sister. Who have both been kind enough to let me stay.”</p>
<p>“Zel,” he said, holding his hand out to her. He wasn’t really willing to wait for her to finish arguing.</p>
<p>Her head snapped to him, eyes fluttering at the motion. She saw the little pill in his hand and grabbed it. He could feel her trembling hand as she did.</p>
<p>Arina watched the exchange, her eyes softening. Angry or not, she didn’t want Zelda to be sick. “Please come home.”</p>
<p>“No,” Zelda muttered, taking the last sip of water she had in her bottle from the show.</p>
<p>Arina glanced at her watch. “Listen, Zelda, you have to answer your phone later. You, your father and I, we need a talk. Answer it or I’ll call the police. Do you understand?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Zelda hissed, not feeling well enough to argue.</p>
<p>Link took a step closer to Zelda as Arina got into her own car and slammed the door.</p>
<p>“Come on, let’s get you home before you get sick.” He took the keys from Zelda and opened the door for her, his hand on her back as she slid onto the passenger side and rested her head against the window almost immediately.</p>
<p>She watched her mother carelessly drive away, a sure sign of anger from her <em>perfect</em> mother.</p>
<p>But without anymore tears to shed over her disappointment, Zelda closed her eyes, imagining a world where her parents had been cheering her on from the front row of the audience with flowers and an apology card waiting when she got home.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Chapter 35</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So, on a scale of one to ten, how much do you <em>hate</em> living with Link?”</p>
<p>Zelda rolled her eyes and ignored Makeela’s comment. Link was at his locker behind them with Ilia, and there was absolutely no way he was deaf to Makeela’s loud voice.</p>
<p>Instead, Zelda continued to pack her books into her bag for the night, grabbing her chemistry and her history book, which she regretfully knew would make her bag uncomfortably heavy.</p>
<p>It had been two days since the play. Two days since her parents had threatened to cut her off if she didn’t return home. And two days since she ignored their threats. For now, her bank account and credit card were still safe. She was thankful they’d helped her get one when she turned 18, and she was more thankful that they’d put a fair amount of money into the bank for her. She’d been offering to give Aryll her card repeatedly only to be denied. And Link was worse, unwilling to bring up Zelda financially helping out with the bills at all. At least Aryll would fight her, telling her: “Oh <em>please</em>, Zelda, stop trying to give me your fucking card already! You’re Link’s girlfriend, not some renter!” Link refused to engage at all, just pretending she wasn’t eating their food and using their shower.  </p>
<p>But after a rather raucous disagreement between the three of them the night before, Aryll finally agreed to let Zelda buy the groceries, which Zelda counted as a huge win in her book.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Makeela relented when she realized that Zelda wasn’t going to indulge her. “I do wish you could come over tonight.”</p>
<p>“Can I spend Thursday night with you? Tell your parents it’s because of the dance on Friday.”</p>
<p>“Sick of me already?” Link asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.</p>
<p>Zelda chuckled. “Yes. You snore right in my ear.”</p>
<p>In mock offense, Link abruptly let go of Zelda and stepped away, towards Ilia. “I do <em>not</em> snore. I breathe loudly to let you know I’m alive.”</p>
<p>“Thanks.”</p>
<p>“You drool all over my arm.”</p>
<p>Zelda looked at Makeela for support, but Makeela only shrugged. “You do drool.”</p>
<p>“You’re both the worst. Ilia, can I hang out with <em>you</em> today?”</p>
<p>Ilia smiled sadly. “Work, otherwise, I’d say yes.”</p>
<p>Link casually leaned against Ilia, like she were a chair. Ilia adjusted her shoulder and rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“Gabe said you can come hang around. I swear, I won’t even talk to you,” Link offered, knowing that Zelda still felt uncomfortable going to the house alone, considering it <em>his</em> house rather than the place she was currently living. She wasn’t willing to hang around her house for fear that she would get comfortable or weak and let her parents win. Or worse, that they’d stop home for lunch and see her there. They’d win in either of those situations.</p>
<p>When she needed clothes the other day, she made a fast trip and had Makeela as the lookout. She just didn’t want to be there.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to become a bother,” Zelda sighed, considering going to the park for a few <em>hours</em>.</p>
<p>Link stared at his phone for a few moments before flipping the screen toward Zelda.</p>
<p>“<em>Would it bother you if Zelda hung around the back?”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“No problem. She’s better company than you two anyway.”</em>
</p>
<p>“Gabe likes you better,” Link chuckled, tucking the phone into his pocket.</p>
<p>With a heavy, resigned sigh, Zelda agreed. “Fine, but I’m not going to make a habit of this.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>It was over two hours into Link’s shift when Zelda finally looked up from her computer.</p>
<p>She’d spent the first hour on the floor of the back room with her textbooks sprawled around her. The second hour, she’d cleaned up and was glaring intently at her screen.</p>
<p>“Trying to win a staring contest? Or just pissed?” Gabe asked, taking a seat on the couch and setting a coffee down on the end table. “You did know there’s a couch here, right?”</p>
<p>Zelda chuckled, remembering Link’s warning from the first day she’d been in the shop. Don’t sit on the couch. She still didn’t know why, but she wasn’t keen on letting her imagination try to figure that one out.</p>
<p>“I work better on a floor.” Not a lie. Zelda used to refuse to use her desk at home when her parents first bought it for her. She’d stubbornly insisted she preferred the floor, and had grown rather fond of working cross-legged and unobstructed by wooden objects.</p>
<p>“What are you working on?”</p>
<p>Zelda’s cheeks heated up. “Actually… a resume. I don’t have one. I still don’t.”</p>
<p>“What job are you applying for?”</p>
<p>“Nothing I’m qualified for, apparently.”</p>
<p>Gabe leaned forward, peeking at her screen as he did. “Want me to look at it for you?”</p>
<p>Chewing on her lip, Zelda let out a resigned sigh and flipped the screen. She hadn’t even filled out half a page. “There’s nothing to look at.”</p>
<p>“Give,” he insisted, holding out his hands.</p>
<p>Zelda slid the laptop over to him and watched his eyes move back and forth as they read the few lines on the page. His hands rapidly tapped the keys and he turned back to her. “I’m adding myself as a reference for you. This resume isn’t bad, but you’re too hard on yourself and it’s showing here.”</p>
<p>“How can you be my reference? I don’t work for you.”</p>
<p>“Personal reference.”</p>
<p>“Oh.”</p>
<p>Gabe handed the computer back to her. “Okay, angle it towards me.”</p>
<p>Zelda paused at his information. “Your name isn’t Gabe?”</p>
<p>He chuckled. “Nope. Stuck with me though. Almost legally changed it a few years back.”</p>
<p>“How do you pronounce your name? William… Gae- Gabe-ora? Gaebora?”</p>
<p>“You got it.”</p>
<p>Smiling, Zelda shook her head. “I feel left out.”</p>
<p>“You’re in the loop now, kid. That’s privileged information. I don’t tell just anyone my real name.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she laughed.</p>
<p>“Mmm,” he hummed, watching her carefully for a moment. “Link told me that you used to help your parents out at their office. Tell me what you used to do there.”</p>
<p>The memory stung a bit, but Zelda sighed and pulled her legs just a little closer to herself. “I used to sort their files—”</p>
<p>“Organized. Write that in there.”</p>
<p>Zelda scoffed. “Just… ‘organized’?”</p>
<p>“For now. We’ll fix it later.”</p>
<p>Zelda’s hands stilled on the keyboard. “You don’t have to. I didn’t want to be a bother by coming here.”</p>
<p>Gabe sat forward and narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re welcome here anytime, Zelda. You’re not a bother to me, or to anyone. I think it’s admirable that you’re looking for a job, whether you get one or not. And you’re not taking my time from anyone. Link knows what he’s doing out there, and Pip is at the electronics desk with his homework. Neither of them needs me. You don’t <em>need</em> me either, but I have hired my fair share of employees, and that means looking at resumes. So, write down that you’re organized.”</p>
<p>Zelda felt her heart tighten at his kindness. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>“Of course, kid. Now, let’s get you a job.”</p>
<p>“I really don’t have the skills for any jobs out there,” Zelda countered, absently gesturing to the computer.</p>
<p>Gabe hummed to himself. “Link ever tell you this isn’t my only business?”</p>
<p>“No!” Zelda gasped.</p>
<p>“Well, I refused to let him work there, but I own a used car shop just down the road. I don’t go in often; that place is fully stocked with employees I trust, but it’s a mess. We still use paper. So I’ll tell you what: if you <em>can’t</em> get a job, I’ll give you an interview, and if you do well, I’ll hire you. We need those papers transferred and organized. You can get a job on that resume, and then you won’t have to worry anymore. But I want you to <em>try</em> to get another job that you’d prefer first. You might surprise yourself.” He paused and watched her bite her lip to stop a tear. “Did you write down ‘organized’ yet?”</p>
<p>Zelda smirked and typed ‘organized,’ hitting the keys with deliberate slowness before looking back over at him. “Yes.”</p>
<p>He chuckled and nodded. “Good. Tell me more.”</p>
<p>By the time she and Gabe had nearly finished, Link had come into the back room.</p>
<p>He looked like he might have been involved in a minor mechanical accident. Where he was often slick with grease and oil, he was now drenched in a pool of yellowish, clear liquid that ran down his entire arm and neck that had soaked his skin and chest. It told a story that something had happened while he was lying down, because the pattern was nearly impossible to achieve otherwise. More so than that, it was mixed in with dark red. Link’s hand was up in front of his face, several towels wrapped around it.</p>
<p>“What did you do?” Gabe gasped, unsure if he should be amused or concerned. Either way, he stood up to grab the first aid kit. “Wash that arm.”</p>
<p>Link went over to the sink with a heavy sigh, watching the water hit his skin and the red oil mix together in a cyclone down the drain. He winced as he pushed some blood out of the rather large wound on his arm.</p>
<p>“I cut my arm on some metal when my wrench got stuck. It’s nothing.”</p>
<p>Zelda leaned against the wall, watching the endless river of blood. “Link? Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“I’m fine.”</p>
<p>Gabe came back and set the kit down, grabbing Link’s arm from the water to look at it. His scrutinizing gaze studied the wound for a few long moments before letting go. “How’s your insurance?”</p>
<p>Link pushed his hair back, sending a stream of grease through it as he groaned. “It exists.”</p>
<p>“Damn, Link. Fine. Take those disgusting coveralls off. I’ll do it this time, but you’ll have a scar.”</p>
<p>“Scars are hot, right Zel?”</p>
<p>She gave him her best unaffected look, though her eyes were wide with concern.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Gabe,” Link muttered.</p>
<p>“What’s happening?” Zelda asked, watching Link’s hand shake as he tried to thread a button through its hole. She brushed his hand aside to help.</p>
<p>“Gabe used to be a paramedic when he was younger,” Link said, glancing behind him. “He’s going to stitch it up.”</p>
<p>“Why not go to the hospital?”</p>
<p>“I’ll give you 400 reasons.”</p>
<p>“Is it that expensive?” she gasped, appreciating the price of things a little more now.</p>
<p>“Aryll’s insurance isn’t the best, but if I’m dying, they’ll take me.”</p>
<p>“Don’t say that,” Zelda muttered, pushing one of the shoulders off and helping it down his arm.</p>
<p>Link grinned, keeping his bleeding arm away from Zelda. “Bet you wish we were back at the house doing this.”</p>
<p>“Oh, shut up,” Zelda snorted, watching Gabe return.</p>
<p> Zelda stepped away and watched Gabe shoot Link a disgusted look.</p>
<p>“I saw the floor.”</p>
<p>Link simply shrugged, looking unaffected. “I knew you were going to bench me.”</p>
<p>“Idiot,” Gabe grumbled, pulling Link to the workbench, shining the bright light right onto Link’s arm as he worked to disinfect it.</p>
<p>Link glanced at Zelda, taking in her confused face. “I finished the repair before coming in. There’s blood on the floor.”</p>
<p>Zelda scoffed and crossed her arms. “That’s so stupid, Link.”</p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p>Gabe groaned in agreement. “And you’re right. You’re benched. Electronics for the next two weeks for you.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Link stared at the bandages that had been taped over the long line of stitches along his forearm, drying it much more carefully than he did anything else. It stung, but not nearly as bad as when Gabe had initially threaded the hooked needle through his skin again and again.</p>
<p>Zelda had already gone to sleep, so he pulled on his sweatpants and a shirt before grabbing his own homework and laying on the couch with it. An hour and a half in, he’d finished everything and went back to his room.</p>
<p>Zelda’s back was to the door, but he closed it quickly to keep the light from the plug near the bathroom from creeping in.</p>
<p>While he considered himself improving at climbing over her without disturbing her, it was still the strangest thing about sharing a bed. There were times when he wanted to roll over, but he was afraid of waking her. And when he’d finally roll, he’d realized his worry was for nothing because she’d been undisturbed in the end.</p>
<p>“You can just… crawl over,” she muttered, making Link jump a bit.</p>
<p>“Okay,” he whispered, not realizing she was awake. But he didn’t waste her consciousness and made his way over to his side.</p>
<p>But that’s when he could see the outline of her shaking, her head bobbing in an unnatural way. Her shoulders and the covers bobbing up and down. Crying.</p>
<p>“Shit, Zelda,” he muttered, pushing his pillow back so he could sit up. He tugged her arm and she nodded, crawling up into his waiting arms.</p>
<p>“I’m just homesick,” she said quickly. “I love you, and I love Aryll, and I’m so grateful to you both, but I miss my home. I miss my bed. I even miss my parents, and it’s stupid.”</p>
<p>“It’s not.”</p>
<p>“It is.”</p>
<p>Link ran his hand along her arm, closing his own eyes and leaning back on the headboard. “I’ve been in your shoes. It’s not stupid, trust me. I missed my dad. <em>My dad</em>.”</p>
<p>He listened to her shaky breaths, the sound of her calming down. “Will you sneak over with me for a night or two? Sleep with me there?”</p>
<p>“Sleep with you… in what way?” he asked with a laugh, smirking when he felt her giggling. “I mean, either way it’s a yes.”</p>
<p>“Shut up,” she laughed, covering her face as if he could see her turn red. “I meant like this. But I mean…”</p>
<p>Link tightened his grip on her and bent a bit so his own laugh and red face was buried into her hair.</p>
<p>“Gods,” she hissed, “I need a tissue, I think.”</p>
<p>“I don’t have any in here. Want to use my sleeve?”</p>
<p>“Ew,” she blanched.</p>
<p>But that made Link cackle. “We literally swap spit. Your tongue has been halfway down my throat and—”</p>
<p>“—Link!”</p>
<p>“—vice versa.”</p>
<p>Zelda felt a burst of giggles escape her. “Gods, that’s not the same at all.”</p>
<p>“No,” he admitted. “But it made you laugh.”</p>
<p>She wriggled free so she could turn to him. “Yeah, it did.”</p>
<p>His eyes had finally adjusted enough that he could see her. “I love you enough to let you use my sleeve.”</p>
<p>She shook her head and pushed the blanket off her. “And I love you enough to go find a tissue for the sake of your sleeve.”</p>
<p>He watched her leave, settling himself into a comfortable spot until she came back. And when she did, they both got comfortable together for the next few hours until school, when they’d do it all again.</p>
<p>A routine.</p>
<p>And Link wrapped his good arm over Zelda, wondering how he ever use to have a life without Zelda in it. How he ever had a bed he didn’t share, or food he didn’t argue over.</p>
<p>And he scooted closer, wondering if this was what was missing for most of his life. Someone to share it with.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Slight filler chapter with fluff lol. Work kicked my butt last week, and it's going for a rematch next week, but this week should be good! I might even get more than one chapter with actual plot content done!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Chapter 36</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda admired Makeela’s silver dress. There was something about it that was just ethereal. There were sparkles that danced in the light, and with every move she made, she shone out like the Goddess. Her hair was intricate, as usual. It wouldn’t be Makeela if she hadn’t done something elaborate to her hair. And sneakers. Never without sneakers.</p><p>Zelda was glad she already had Link and wasn’t as worried about impressing someone, though she didn’t slack for the occasion. She wore a two-toned dress, the top half a pale color that also sparkled from the gems that were sewn into the top. The bottom was emerald green, flowing and comfortable. She did wear heels, unlike Makeela, and her hair was up in a formally messy bun.</p><p>They both headed down the steps from Makeela’s room, greeted by an aggressive amount of flashing from cameras.</p><p>Makeela’s mother clicked the button until neither girl could see, and they suddenly remembered why they preferred to get ready at Zelda’s house. And when the doorbell rang, Zelda cringed, knowing it meant <em>more</em> photos.</p><p>Their plan had been simple. Zelda was with Link. Easy. But Makeela kept attempting to invite half the world to the dance. Darunia agreed to hang out with them for a while, splitting his time between their group and Revali’s. And while Ilia was planning to go anyway, the addition of Pipit to the group had her more excited than usual. Makeela patted herself on the back for that one.</p><p>And all of them except for Darunia would be staying over at Makeela’s when the dance was over.</p><p>The three of them were waiting at the door when Makeela opened it. Ilia was driving them all, since her family had the largest van, and Makeela’s mother had insisted they come inside for pictures.</p><p>Zelda gave them all a small wave, grinning at the way Link drank her in, though he politely avoided her so he could introduce himself to Makeela’s mom. But once he did, he moved to the far side of the room and pulled Zelda into a kiss.</p><p>“You look beautiful,” he whispered.</p><p>But not nearly as soft was Makeela, waving her phone wildly. “I got it! I finally got a picture of you two kissing!”</p><p>Zelda made a face, patting Link’s chest. “If you wanted a picture so bad, you could have asked.”</p><p>“No! I needed a candid!”</p><p>Ilia hung over Makeela’s shoulder, and Pipit followed suit to get a glimpse of the elusively uncaptured shot up until this moment.</p><p>Link grumbled, letting Zelda fix his tie as the others crooned over the picture, as if it were some precious baby they were all trying to entertain.</p><p>Link’s tie mostly matched Zelda’s dress. The two greens were different shades, but the attempt was there, and that was more than Zelda asked for.</p><p>“You look more handsome than you normally do, Link,” she whispered to him, hoping the others wouldn’t jump on her words.</p><p>“Because standing beside you just makes me look better than usual. Because you’re so gorgeous that people look at me and say, ‘Damn, that bastard’s lucky to have gotten such a perfect human being as his girlfriend; he must not be as bad as we think.’”</p><p>“What just came out of your mouth?” Zelda laughed, teasing him with the fastest kiss she could manage. “And please don’t start insulting yourself again. I thought we were over that.”</p><p>He nodded and took her outstretched hand, wrapping his fingers tihtly through hers as they watched Makeela’s mom, smiling as necessary, posing in a number of pictures, and spending the rest of the time talking to Pipit and Ilia as Makeela begged her mother to let them leave.</p><p>The car ride revealed that Pipit had a smaller version of his whiteboard that he used to talk to Makeela. With Ilia driving, Makeela was the only one who needed the written translation when they wanted to converse.</p><p>Link turned around from the front seat to check out what was happening. Zelda was amusingly pressed against her door while Pipit and his borrowed suit took up a little too much room when combined with her and Makeela’s puffy dresses. Ilia didn’t have to worry; not only was she the driver and didn’t need to share space, she was also in a short dress with comfortable shoes, so she’d have been less constricted anyway.</p><p>Arriving at the dance felt a little strange. For Link, he had always shown up with Ilia and hidden in the corner with her for the night, dancing alone and forgotten by the school. The last dance, he’d smoked outside with Zelda and spilled his guts about his past. Now, he was walking inside hand-in-hand with Zelda as his <em>girlfriend</em>, unabashed and unashamed who was watching.</p><p>Mr. Auru gave them a grin as they handed him their tickets. “How’s it going?”</p><p>“Good,” Zelda said quickly. If there was any teacher who could see through her, it was Mr. Auru, and she didn’t want any adult to catch whiff of the fact that she wasn’t living at home.</p><p>“I know I told you this in class, but well done in that show, Zelda. Well done.”</p><p>“Thanks, Mr. Auru,” she grinned, a genuinely soft smile on her face.</p><p>They stepped to the side, and Makeela, Ilia, and Pipit all handed in their tickets. Makeela, the chatterer of the group, indulged in a conversation with Mr. Auru for longer than anyone cared for before they all entered the decorated gym,</p><p>White streamers and snowflakes lined the walls, the dark room was lit by cheap, swiveling lights of blues and purples, casting a cold atmosphere across the room, despite the warmth so many bodies had provided.</p><p><em>“Can you see enough to sign or write?”</em> Link asked Pipit.</p><p>He had to squint, but Pipit nodded.</p><p>Makeela had already begun to wildly throw her head back and forth to the beat of the song that was playing, grabbing Zelda’s wrist and dragging her onto the dance floor and twisting her arms around in excitement, wasting no time.</p><p>Pipit moved beside Link and crossed his arms, shooting his friend an oh-too casual look.</p><p>Link scoffed. <em>“Don’t look at me. I have a girlfriend. I’m now out of practice being single.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Ass.”</em>
</p><p>Link just shrugged and pulled Ilia with him as they formed a little group on the edge of the designated dancing area. They stayed far from the tables, ensuring that there would be as few eyes on them as possible.</p><p>Link and Zelda made a conscious effort not to dance with each other, ensuring that they didn’t accidently distance themselves from the rest of the group. It was only about an hour in when they finally managed to steal a moment alone on the dance floor.</p><p>Ilia, notorious for hating crowds, had taken to sitting at the tables, genuinely enjoying watching more than actual dancing. Makeela had followed her, urging Pipit to go with her. The three of them sat together at the brightest table, engaged in a frantic conversation that was a mix of poor sign language, fake sign language, slowed down words, and written ones. Somehow, the three of them could always manage to make a conversation work.</p><p>“Do we join them?” Link asked, finally grabbing Zelda’s hand.</p><p>She tightened her grip and shook her head, dragging him with her at the start of a slow song. And while more people opted to sit down during those songs, neither of them noticed if any eyes were on them.</p><p>“How do we…” Link chuckled, realizing that, except for jokingly swaying in the corner with Ilia, and that one day in Zelda’s kitchen, he’d never danced with a girl. Certainly, never in public.</p><p>Zelda’s arms wrapped around Link’s neck, pulling him closer to her. It left no room for his hands anywhere but on her waist. And after a few seconds of utter discomfort at the thought of being judged or watched, his arms relaxed, hugging her loosely, his hands almost dropping dangerously low for a public dance, though he consciously stopped them before they could fall.</p><p>Their foreheads were pressed together, moving back and forth to the music with no real intent or rhythm. Link’s eyes closed, taking in every sensation.</p><p>She smelled like soap, but it wasn’t the kind they kept at his house, so he knew she’d showered at Makeela’s. He could feel her breath hit his face, warming his chin every few seconds. Her fingers were in her favorite resting spot: the short hairs at the back of his neck. She twisted the strands, her nail occasionally grazing the skin on his neck and sending a shiver through him. He thought it was unfair that his position in a slow dance had mostly kept him from touching her. It was only through their familiarity with each other that they didn’t feel embarrassed brushing up against the other, taking their cues from others who weren’t pressing their bodies against each other like sandwiches.</p><p>He heard her giggle.</p><p>“What?” he asked, finally opening his eyes and pulling away just enough so his eyes could focus on hers.</p><p>“Nothing. You just looked happy, or peaceful.”</p><p>“I’m both,” he admitted. “It’s been a long time since I felt both.”</p><p>“You deserve to be happy,” Zelda whispered, ready to lean against him.</p><p>But Link pulled his shoulder out of reach so he could get her attention. His hand moved up to run along her jaw, stopping at her neck. “<em>You </em>deserve to be happy.”</p><p>This time, he let her lean her head on his shoulder, adjusting so his hand had moved off her neck and taken hers. As she moved closer, their hands were trapped between them.</p><p>Link chuckled, freeing himself with an apology before they adjusted themselves again, finding a more comfortable way to stay close as they swayed.</p><p>It was only once she’d settled on his shoulder, her breath now hitting his neck with every word, that she finally responded to him.</p><p>“I’m happy with you. You make me happy. I’m… still working on the rest.”</p><p>“I can’t be the only thing that makes you happy, Zel.”</p><p>“I know,” she whispered again, “I am trying.”</p><p>“I know you are.”</p><p>Zelda took a deep breath. “Link, can I ask a favor?”</p><p>“Anything.”</p><p>She smirked at his immediate response. “I want to stay at my house tomorrow. My parents are leaving tomorrow, and I just want one night there. And… I was wondering if you’d come too? At least for one night, if it’s too weird.”</p><p>“I’d stay there every night if that’s what you want. Or I won’t go at all if you want privacy or to be alone.”</p><p>“I’d rather be alone with you,” she laughed.</p><p>“Crafty,” Link muttered, pressing a kiss into her hair.</p><p>“I love you.” Zelda was still amazed at how easy it was to slip out, how often she wanted to let him know.</p><p>She could feel his vibrating throat—more than hear his voice—his contented sigh, pleased just with hearing her say that.  </p><p>“I wish there was a different phrase,” Link admitted. “I love you… but I love Pipit, Ilia, Gabe, Aryll. But I’m <em>in love</em> with you. There should be a stronger way to say it.”</p><p>“Gods,” Zelda breathed, pulling Link tighter. “You’re so mushy sometimes. I love it.”</p><p>His smile turned mischievous. “Want me to write you a poem?”</p><p>She snorted, but her head bobbed. “Yes.”</p><p>He leaned closer to her ear so only she could hear, his breath warm and ticklish. “Want me to sing it to you while I play the guitar?”</p><p>“Yeah,” she laughed.</p><p>“Shirtless under the moonlight?”</p><p>She pushed his chest back, a wide smile on her face, cheeks turning red even under the blue lights. “As tempting as that is, that moves away from mushy and into… a different category.”</p><p>“Sexy?” he offered, playfully wriggling his eyebrow.</p><p>“Yes, actually,” she breathed, pulling him to her for a kiss.</p><p>“Noted,” he muttered against her lips, reveling in an indulgent moment. They knew it couldn’t last long. The eyes of the chaperoning teachers were everywhere, watching, always watching.</p><p>He pulled away from her lips and just rested his head against hers, joking aside for the moment.</p><p>With Zelda in his arms, he could remember that there was something in this world more powerful than the pain he felt in his chest whenever he thought about the people who <em>could</em> have been in his life. He could be at the dance with Mikau, sitting in the corner as they watched Zelda dance with Revali, a girl he’d only ever fantasize about being with. And maybe Mikau would be with someone, but he would never have brought them to Link’s high school dance. He could go home and tell his parents all about his night, and maybe mention Zelda if they asked if there was anyone he was interested in. He wouldn’t tell Aryll because she’d have been living with Collin for years by that point, never putting her life on hold for him.</p><p>But he didn’t have any of that. He had Zelda. And the realization that she was enough to make him forget all the pain was nerve-wracking. Because what would he do if he lost <em>her?</em></p><p>What would he do if one day, he got a call some police officer who’d somehow gotten his number to let him know there had been a car accident? Car rolled upside down. Driver pinned inside. No sign of movement. No pulse.</p><p>What would he do if he was beside her, trapped and helpless, voice raw from calling her name? What would he do if he <em>lost</em> her too?</p><p>“Fuck,” he muttered, not realizing he’d spoken out loud until Zelda looked curiously at him.</p><p>But her eyes widened when she saw him. “Link? Goddess, are you okay?”</p><p>He felt her warm hand on his cheek, feeling a tear being pushed along with her finger. He cleared his throat and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”</p><p>“Link, what is it?” she pushed, gripping him tight with concern.</p><p>He let out a shaky breath. “Just… did you know that next week is the anniversary of the accident? I get…” he stopped to run his hand along his mouth, stressed as he tried to pull for the right words. “I get anxious.”</p><p>“What are you anxious about?”</p><p>He let his fingers trace the lines of her face, something that calmed him. He expected her skin to feel cold, but the fiery warmth under her cheeks soothed his mind on a more subconscious level than he could admit.</p><p>“It’s not a school topic,” he noted, looking around.</p><p>“Okay. You know you have me if you want to talk later.”</p><p>“I know. I might take you up on that.” He ran his hands through her hair, not even noticing the music had changed at some point.</p><p>They made no move to change how they were dancing, enjoying the closeness and stillness of their simple dance. They watched the table of their friends, now joined by Darunia. He was talking to, of all people, Ilia. She was smiling at something he was saying, his hands gesturing around wildly as he told his story. And Pipit was scribbling something down, only to have Makeela take the marker straight out of his hands and erase his words so she could scribble her own.</p><p>Zelda chuckled and brought her attention back to Link, who was already looking at her. She wished she knew what he was thinking, what was going on in his head. “Want to go get some air?”</p><p>He shot a glance back at the table. “Do you think they’ll miss us?”</p><p>“I know Makeela won’t.”</p><p>“Pip won’t either. He likes her, you know?”</p><p>“I figured,” Zelda laughed, taking Link’s hand. “Does Ilia need saving, or is that genuine?”</p><p>Link pulled Zelda along with him, away from the table and toward their escape outside. “Genuine. They’ll be fine.”</p><p>It was only when the fresh air hit them that they both reached for the other at once and with so much enthusiasm that they nearly banged heads. It had them both laughing as they came back together, no longer worried about the prying eyes of chaperones or the ears of anyone else around them. Zelda used their brief distraction to push Link with her until they were against the side of the building.</p><p>It wasn’t until they heard the door open sometime later when their lips were swollen and their mouths starting to go dry that they hastily broke away, breathless.</p><p>“Oh,” said a familiar voice.</p><p>Zelda spun around to see Revali and Sidon watching them. She let out a deep sigh and stayed in front of Link, as if he needed some kind of protection.</p><p>For a time, neither pair said anything to each other, but a flash of understanding crept over Zelda’s features, especially when she saw their clasped hands.</p><p>Revali <em>and</em> Sidon.</p><p>“Oh,” Zelda muttered in return. She wanted to ask a thousand questions. She wanted to talk to him like he was her old friend, to ask when that happened, how, was it during the show, was it before? Had they gone on a date? Had was it fun? She wanted to, but when she looked at him, she still couldn’t forget the things he’d done to her, and she couldn’t bring herself to ask a single burning question. “Link and I were just going back inside,” she finally said, uncomfortable in the silence.</p><p>She took Link’s hand and dragged him to the door.</p><p>She pushed Link inside quickly and let the door close behind them. “Gods,” she breathed. “It had to be Revali, of all people to show up outside.”</p><p>Link smirked and headed back down the hall. “Could have been Ravio.”</p><p>“Ugh. I wish it had been… I don’t know… Makeela and Pipit who’d popped out there.”</p><p>“That would not have been surprising.”</p><p>Zelda chuckled as they made their way back to the gym and to the table.</p><p>Sitting down, Link banged the table enough to shake it to get Pipit’s attention. “<em>Where’s Ilia?” </em>he signed.</p><p>Pointing to the dance floor, Link craned his neck, surprised to see that Darunia had dragged her out there.</p><p>“Were they flirting?” Zelda asked Makeela.</p><p>“Not really; just talking. They were having a good time.”</p><p>“Good for her,” Link muttered, moving his hands as he spoke. But he reached across the table to grab the whiteboard and promptly erased what they’d written down, hiding the board as he scribbled.</p><p>Pipit watched patiently, but Makeela crossed her arms. “We were in the middle of a deep conversation, you know.”</p><p>Link smirked, remembering the words he’d erased. “Oh yeah, sure you were.”</p><p>“Okay, so not deep, but interesting.”</p><p>“What?” Zelda asked.</p><p>Makeela pointed to the lights. “We were talking about how this place is so weird. Like, we can afford new lights for a school dance but not new computers? It makes no sense.”</p><p>Zelda grinned. “Deep,” she laughed, signing for Pipit. He chuckled and watched Link slide the board back.</p><p>There was a nonsensical cartoon drawing in place of the conversation they’d been having.</p><p>Pipit narrowed his eyes playfully. “<em>This is what you wanted my board for?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Yes. Artists thrive on inspiration, and I had some.”</em>
</p><p>With a scoff, Pipit slowly and deliberately wiped the board.</p><p>The night continued on like this; there were moments where they all sat together at the table, and others where they broke off with each other. Zelda had stolen Makeela, Pipit and Link were together in an amused conversation that Ilia joined. Darunia had found comfort with his old friends, spending more time with Zelda and Makeela than they were used to anymore, and it was a refreshing change of pace.</p><p>And all night, Zelda was able to ignore the looks from Revali, cautious and unsure; Ruto, perhaps jealous of her old crush’s attention on them; and Ravio, spitefully watching from Ruto’s arms.</p><p>That night, they stayed at Makeela’s, curled up in a giant ball on the floor of her living room together. The marker had rolled from Makeela’s hand, Pipit’s palm smudging the last words they’d written, something about Moonlight Howl, before their eyes drifted shut. Ilia’s hand was uncomfortably contorted against Link’s back, but she was happily stretched out away from any of the furniture. Zelda, however, was pressed up against the couch, rolled over into the tight space just because it felt good for her feet to be free of her heels. Link wasn’t far away, but there was a large gap between them that Zelda later rolled into in the middle of the night.</p><p>And for the first time in a long time, Zelda felt like a kid again, normal, on the floor at a friend’s house without any worries. And it was that peaceful thought that sent her into a calm, dreamless sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Chapter 37</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda was glad that it was school vacation. It gave her the freedom she needed to function.</p><p>Stepping out of her car, she stared at her front door, debating using it for once instead of the one in the garage, which felt much more personal. But this was personal. This was her home. And she needed to go inside.</p><p>She knew her parents had left that morning, and she knew Link agreed to meet her there after work. She knew no one was home. And yet there was something about entering the house that had her so unsure, like it wasn’t even hers anymore.</p><p>But all of those feelings washed away when she finally crossed the threshold, turning off the alarm and flipping the light switch on.</p><p>The first thing she saw was a note on the counter:</p><p>
  <em>Zelda, if you’re reading this, we’ll be home in a week. Don’t stay here alone, but if you invite Makeela over, you’ll need to buy some milk. Left money in the cabinet. Feel free to text. -Mom and Dad</em>
</p><p> Maybe they knew her a little bit after all; at least they had the foresight to anticipate she’d go home when they left.</p><p>Zelda slid the note off to the side and went straight for her room, throwing herself down onto her bed and taking a twenty-minute nap without meaning to. But when she woke up, she began cleaning her room, as if she had been using it all week. She put some of the scattered clothes away that she’d left strewn about on her last rushed clothing run, and she’d begun to reorganize her room. When she needed a break, she went to do some of the laundry she’d brought with her, sitting on the dryer with a book from her floor while she waited a few minutes to make sure she’d done everything right. She’d gotten used to the two trips to the laundromat with Link and Aryll, and worried that she might have somehow forgotten how to use her own.</p><p>When she was confident with that, she made a meal, watched television, lounged on the floor, moved the laundry to the drier. It was a mundane day, but it was familiar again. It was a day in <em>her </em>house.</p><p>Link would come over at 6pm after getting out of work. She hoped that soon, she’d be able to do the same and lounge on a couch after being tired from a day filled with productive work. She even hoped that she’d be able to complain about how tired she was, or how much she wanted the work day to end. She longed for home to be a place she <em>wanted </em>to go.</p><p>When 6pm rolled around, she could hear the steadily louder hum of Link’s motorcycle before he parked it beside her car in the garage that she’d opened for him.  </p><p>Link peeled off his jacket and a shiver rolled through his body. The wind had frozen his face and his clothes, so he took his sweatshirt off as well, feeling more heat that way until the sweatshirt could readjust to room temperature.</p><p>She noted the large bandage on his arm and made a point to stare at it.</p><p>“Oh, shut up,” he muttered, kissing her in greeting. “Tell me how your day here was.”</p><p>Zelda ran her hands through her hair. “I napped <em>in my bed</em>—”</p><p>“What an image—” he interrupted.</p><p>She shot him a look. “I also did laundry, made lunch, read some of my book, watched television, and stalked some people online. How was the electronics side of the shop?” Her tone made it clear that she was making fun of him and his rightful punishment for his carelessness with his arm.</p><p>Link scoffed. “Boring as all hell. Pipit has the weekend off, and one of the other guys came in and it was just… torture to watch them work. I wish more people actually <em>fixed </em>their electronics instead of buying a new one. Aren’t you due to break your phone soon?”</p><p>“Shut up. Oh, I started some food too,” she said, gesturing to the kitchen. “It’s ready, just been keeping it warm.”</p><p>He took a minute to sniff the air and nodded. “Smells really good. Gods, I wish we lived together.”</p><p>She snorted and pushed past him, feeling his eyes on her as she walked. With a knowing smile, she spun around, catching his eyes far too low before they darted up guiltily.</p><p>“Caught,” she laughed, moving towards one of the drawers.</p><p>She felt his arms around her waist and his lips on the side of her neck, distracting her to the point that she forgot what she was doing. It was just his lips, his teeth, his tongue.</p><p>“Link,” she breathed, trying to remember is something was about to burn, because if not, she was going to just give up.</p><p>“Yeah?” he asked, teasingly pulling away. “Oh right, food.”</p><p>Her head was spinning at the abrupt loss of him and she was grateful that he decided to take over setting up because her mind was now gone. They were alone without anyone to potentially walk in on them, and that thought alone had Zelda’s mind racing to a hundred other possibilities.</p><p>“You’re… um…” she started, suddenly feeling too bashful to get any words out. She could feel the ghost of his lips on her neck and leaned back into the counter for support. “You’re free tomorrow, right?”</p><p>Link returned to her, red-faced and smirking as he reached around her to grab two glasses from the cupboard. He lingered there, his eyes on her lips before slowly making their way back up. “All day.”</p><p>“All day?” she repeated, biting her lip anxiously.</p><p>“I’m free tonight, too.”</p><p>She started giggling nervously. “I ju… I didn’t know if you wanted to… rest before we… <em>hang out</em>. Gods… this is horrible. I’m horrible at this.”</p><p>Link chuckled, not bothering to hide his own burning face. “’Hang out?’ That’s your euphemism? Gods, I love you.”</p><p>“Shut up. I’m just too nervous tonight, okay? I’m back in this house, and I don’t even know if I’m staying and it’s maybe just too much for tonight. But it’s won’t be tomorrow. Okay?”</p><p>“Okay. Schedule me in whenever is best for you,” he said, smiling, and kissing her as he passed with the glasses.</p><p>She let out a deep breath and went to follow him before stopping and realizing that there wasn’t even any food.</p><p>Link passed her again, this time, playfully spinning her so she was facing the dining room. “Just go sit, Zel. I got the rest.”</p><p>Zelda managed to make it through dinner without dying of embarrassment. It was Link, after all. Why was she <em>so</em> nervous?</p><p>They’d both changed into sweatpants and a sweatshirt after they ate, getting comfortable for the night. Their plans were to finish season three of <em>The Twilight Throne. </em></p><p>She’d brought Link inside her room for the first time. He hovered in the doorway for some time before finally stepping inside. His eyes darted over all her trophies. Archery. Archery. Volleyball. Archery. A theater ribbon. Archery.</p><p>“Why’d you stop?” he asked, gesturing to the trophies. “Theater, you said, but why did you pick that one over archery?”</p><p>Zelda slid up beside him and crossed her arms, letting out a deep sigh as she looked them over. “It can get lonely when you’re just shooting at a target. Even when people are watching you or cheering, it’s just you up there. I liked being around people, so I chose theater. This year, I wish I’d gone back to shooting things instead, but oh well.”</p><p>“Where’s your bow?” he asked, wriggling his eyebrows.</p><p>Zelda snorted and pulled her closet open, grabbing a striking blue metal bow from the corner and tossing it to Link. He caught it and looked it over intently before wrapping his fingers around the grip.</p><p>“Wait, you’re a lefty,” Zelda said, grabbing the bow and readjusting Link’s hips so he was facing the other way. She held the bow out for him and he took it in his left hand this time.</p><p>“Feels weird this way.”</p><p>“Because this bow was made for a righty. The grip is backwards, so it wouldn’t be too comfortable for you.”</p><p>“Show me how it’s done then.”</p><p>Zelda made a face and took the bow from Link’s hands, immediately pulling back on the string in a perfect position. Her eyes drifted to Link, smirking as she let go of the string and it echoed with a reverberating thunk.</p><p>“Hot,” Link said, winking.</p><p>“Mhmm,” she laughed, putting the bow away. “Maybe some day you’d want to go to a shooting gallery with me?”</p><p>“I’d love that.”</p><p>Link made his way around the room, marveling at how much bigger it was than his own and how she could bare to tolerate his when <em>this </em>was her alternative. And he realized just how much Zelda must have either loved him or hated her parents when he laid down on her bed, letting out a long moan as he stretched out.</p><p>“Oh gods, this is heaven.”</p><p>Zelda joined him on the bed and, yes, she had to agree that she had one of the most comfortable mattresses she’d ever felt.</p><p>Link rolled over and made himself even more comfortable. “I could get used to this.”</p><p>With a laugh, Zelda threw herself on top of him, causing him to groan as she abruptly knocked the air from him.</p><p>“I could get used to you being here, too,” she said, playing with the strings of his sweatshirt.</p><p>“Yeah?” He slid his hand under hers to brush against the skin of her back, and Zelda laughed, pulling the strings of his hood tight.</p><p>“Maybe not,” he muttered, blinking under the pressure of the tight string against his forehead. His hand quickly went to Zelda’s hood, pulling it up and over her head, covering her eyes.</p><p>She pushed it back, leaving her hair a wild mess in front of her eyes. Crawling over him, she grabbed the corner of her pillow and smacked it down into Link’s face, keeping him pinned beneath her as she straddled his waist.</p><p>Like the rest of the bed, the pillow was soft and didn’t do anything but wildly send his hair out in every direction. One hand went out to block her next swing, while the other went to her hip to steady her as he sat forward.</p><p>She knew that he could easily flip her over, stand up and carry her, basically do anything to gain the upper hand. And while she liked a good one-sided pillow fight, there was something she wanted just a bit more than senselessly hitting him with her very nice pillow.</p><p>“Okay, Mr. I-Used-To-Get-Up-And-Run-Every-Morning, you’re clearly out of shape these days.”</p><p>Her taunt wasn’t lost on Link, and he snorted, flipping them both over. He relished the sound of her laughter as she clung tighter to him, bringing him closer as their mouths met again.</p><p>“This isn’t Season 3 of <em>The Twilight Throne</em>,” Link said between breaths.</p><p>“Spoiler alert: it kind of is.”</p><p>His eyes glinted mischievously as he watched her for a moment. But it was too long for Zelda, who grabbed the collar of his hood and pulled him back down to her, leaving him laughing into her mouth before he could rein it in.</p><p>Being with Link was <em>easy.</em> She could be weird. She could be nervous. None of it made her feel bad, or unworthy. She didn’t need to putt effort into the things she said. She didn’t need to tiptoe around topics. Maybe that’s how <em>everything </em>was supposed to be. Maybe she was always supposed to feel so free. Or maybe it was just something about Link. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever figure that one out.</p><p>But gods, she was hooked on how she felt around Link, and she wanted more.</p><p>Grabbing his hand one more time, she moved it to her waist where her shirt had ridden up before letting go. He smirked, getting the message as his fingers lightly traced the fine curve of her waist and then behind her to her arching back, then close to her neck—</p><p>Link jerked backwards in realization. He’d followed her skin <em>all </em>the way there… without interruption from any kind of fabric.</p><p>His mouth fell open, a question of her intent clear in his eyes. He watched her take a deep breath and nod.</p><p>Link returned his lips to hers with a soft, tender kiss that didn’t stay that way for long. It seemed like the natural first thing to do was to kiss each other, so they did. They didn’t realize that the familiarity of the other’s mouth on theirs was calming in many ways now. It was something they understood, unlike this new territory.</p><p>Zelda writhed in the best possible way until she found herself choking.</p><p>“Wait,” she muttered, coughing once and feeling the loss of Link’s hands on her all too keenly. “My sweatshirt is choking me.”</p><p>His fingers splayed along her stomach, the tip of his index finger tracing a small pattern into her that had her shivering long before his words could have the same effect. “Want it off?”</p><p>The way his eyes raked over her, it was clear his question was decidedly <em>not </em>just about her sweatshirt. Surprised only by his directness though not actually his question, she nodded and sat up, pushing him up with her. “I thought you were shy, Link.”</p><p>He scoffed, tugging playfully at the hem of her shirt. “That’s because you can’t feel my hands shaking yet, Princess.”</p><p>There was no way he didn’t know that she’d been shaking too. Maybe the knowledge that they were both a wreck helped calm them both down a bit. “Nervous?”</p><p>“Hell yeah,” he admitted with an anxious chuckle.</p><p>“Me too. But I’m good… if you…” she didn’t bother finishing her sentence. While she’d called for a rain check earlier, she wasn’t interested in one now. Not while she felt unnaturally comfortable in her own skin, especially given the situation.</p><p>“Let me know if you’re ever not.”</p><p>“You too,” she laughed.  </p><p>So, when Link pulled away and felt Zelda grab at the hem of her sweatshirt, he stilled her hands. “Oh, Zelda, if you do it that way, your shirt will be inside out.”</p><p>He was making fun of her, of what she’d said to him on his birthday. Her mouth fell open in indignant surprise and humor at his taunt. “Okay, fine, I don’t care,” she laughed.</p><p>“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he said, peeling her layer off for her, leaving her in loose shirt she’d intended to sleep in.</p><p>His hands reached for the fabric, but Zelda shied away. “Fair play, Link. You too.”</p><p>She could visibly see him swallow, but he held his hands up in surrender, breathing faster as he let her slowly peeled his own shirt away.</p><p>It was a give and take, and all night, she savored every breath he took.</p><hr/><p>“Yeah, so… we did that.”</p><p>Makeela’s mouth hadn’t closed since Zelda had begun to tell her what had happened the night before. As it was, they were sitting on the couch downstairs, and Makeela simply had lost every thought she’d ever held in her mind.</p><p>“You… what else? You can’t stop there. What happened? Tell me everything. I mean it.”</p><p>Zelda couldn’t stop grinning to the point where she needed to cover her mouth with her hand. “I… I don’t know. It’s kind of private.”</p><p>“You either tell me what happened, or you tell me if Link is well-endowed.”</p><p>“Makeela! Gods!” Zelda laughed, her face <em>burning. </em>“Fine, I’ll tell you. We… gods, um, the first time was—”</p><p>“Wait! First time?”</p><p>“Y-yes.”</p><p>“How many times we talking about since last night?”</p><p>Zelda shielded her eyes, laughing as she held out three fingers.</p><p>“Girl!” Makeela finally closed her eyes and leaned back. “And you’re walking around. I had higher hopes for you than that.”</p><p>“Stop it! You’re going to kill me.”</p><p>“Okay, keep going.”</p><p>Zelda rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay. So the first time wasn’t the worst. It was awkward. We were both bumbling a bit. But once we got that first time out of the way… it got… better.”</p><p>“How much better?”</p><p>Biting her lip, Zelda fought back a grin.</p><p>“Oooh, girl!” Makeela practically screeched. “Keep going!”</p><p>“I don’t know! Um… we did a lot! I don’t know what you want from me!”</p><p>“I want <em>details!</em>”</p><p>“You’re not getting details!” Zelda laughed. “I’m not giving you a play by play! You’re literally making me sweat.”</p><p>“Did <em>he </em>make you sweat?”</p><p>Zelda rolled her eyes and forced out a deep breath. “He’s going to be here, like, any second. And I will turn the tables on you and make you and Pipit uncomfortable if you say <em>anything</em> while we’re all here. I want to watch <em>Moonlight Howl</em> in peace.”</p><p>The loud roar of Link’s motorcycle pulling up had Zelda making a triumphant face. “He’s predictably punctual.”</p><p>“Is that an innuendo?” Makeela giggled, grabbing a pillow to shield herself from Zelda’s glare.</p><p>Link stepped through the door that Zelda had left unlocked for him and Pipit, though he was coming from work and Pipit was off, so they’d agreed to come over separately.</p><p>“Hey, Link!” Makeela chimed. “I heard you had a really fun night last night. Watched an awful lot of tv, didn’t you?”</p><p>“Good gods,” Zelda muttered, crumpling to the couch.</p><p>Link hadn’t expected any other kind of greeting from Makeela, who, as he knew, was notoriously nosey. He recovered quickly from his shock and dropped his backpack so he could lean over the couch that faced Zelda and Makeela.</p><p>“I hear Pip’s taught you a few things in sign language. Let’s see…”</p><p>Makeela watched him think for a moment, careful to chose what he was saying. She watched him gesture to him and to Zelda, but the next sign was lost on her. Zelda’s reaction, however, was not.</p><p>“Link! What are you doing?” she started laughing.</p><p>Makeela narrowed her eyes, and Link smirked, repeating the gesture. She couldn’t, for the life of her, reason it out, though she was fairly certain he was saying <em>something </em>about him and Zelda’s escapades, given her reaction and the fact that, as he continued, Zelda grew more and more red.</p><p>She could see his mind going, choosing words that would not inherently give away their meaning from his gestures. He even went slow for her, but she got nothing.</p><p>When Link had finished, Zelda began laughing harder. “Oh, gods, Makeela! I guess Pipit hasn’t taught you those signs yet. I’m sure he will <em>eventually</em>.”</p><p>On cue, the door opened and Pipit walked in, making a face at the three of them who had gathered into a rather suspicious triangle. He could tell something was happening, Makeela’s unhidden annoyance ringing clear.</p><p>Link turned to Pipit, leaning back. “<em>Your girlfriend is being nosey. We’re just making her a little uncomfortable for it.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Not my girlfriend.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You sound like me when Zelda and I started hanging out.”</em>
</p><p>Zelda snorted, feeling Makeela seething with curiosity as to what was being said, knowing she couldn’t well ask them to speak aloud given Pipit’s deafness.</p><p> Pipit looked around, making a show of changing the subject. “<em>No Ilia?”</em></p><p><em>“She wanted to stay home tonight,” </em>Link said.</p><p>Zelda patted her pocket, where her phone was. <em>“Actually, she texted me earlier and said she wanted us to have a nice double date.”</em></p><p><em>“She did not,” </em>Pipit signed with a gruff noise.</p><p>
  <em>“I can show you.”</em>
</p><p>“Hey,” Makeela said. “What’s happening?”</p><p>Zelda smiled sweetly. “We’re talking about you.”</p><p>Rolling her eyes, Makeela sat back and crossed her arms. She had, in fact, asked for it by immediately goading Link.</p><p>Link, on the other hand, walked around the couch to kiss Zelda. “I should have known that nothing would be private with Makeela, right?”</p><p>“Not the first time, anyway,” Zelda admitted.</p><p>“She did nothing but sing your praises if that makes you feel better,” Makeela snickered, unable to stop herself.</p><p>Link chuckled and leaned forward a little more so Makeela could see him. And he gave her the finger. “Know this one yet?”</p><p>Makeela smirked and leaned comfortably against the side of the couch. “Is that real sign language? If that’s the case, people have been trying to teach me for years.”</p><p><em>“Wow,”</em> Pipit signed, moving to sit on the empty couch. <em>“I missed a lot today, apparently. What’s this all about?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Zelda and I slept together, and your girlfriend can’t stop herself from making comments.”</em>
</p><p><em>“I’m not entirely surprised,” </em>Pipit laughed, digging out his whiteboard, pointedly ignoring the girlfriend comment this time. He pulled out the whiteboard and scribbled something quickly before turning it around. ‘Congratulations.’</p><p>Makeela burst out laughing, and Pipit started chuckling as he wiped the surface clean.</p><p>Makeela got up and moved to Pipit’s couch, high fiving him as she sat.</p><p>Link slid into her old spot beside Zelda and narrowed his eyes.</p><p>“Gods,” Zelda whispered, not actually trying to be quiet, especially since her hands moved for Pipit’s sake. “They’re so perfect for each other. They’re both the actual worst.”</p><p>“That’s why you lovvvve us!” Makeela laughed.</p><p>Link shook his head, translating for Pipit before adding in, <em>“Tolerate.”</em></p><p>Pipit grabbed the marker again and translated for Makeela, who looked up indignantly.</p><p>“Tolerate! You’re the worst! You think we’re meant for each other? You two are just mean.” She couldn’t keep a straight face as she tried to pout.</p><p>Zelda glanced at the clock. Still an hour to <em>Moonlight Howl</em>.</p><p>So with a controlled expression, she got comfortable and glanced at Link, far more comfortable than just in her position on the couch.</p><p>She couldn’t imagine ever being this at-ease with Revali, Ruto, and Darunia. Not the way she felt around Link, Pipit, and Ilia, since her absence didn’t change the fact. And Makeela had always been there. She had always been her go-to person, and despite the teasing, she was glad she had someone she trusted still. Zelda knew that if she’d <em>truly</em> asked Makeela not to say a word, she wouldn’t. Makeela could read her like a book. She knew when she could tease and push, and when she needed to back off.</p><p>And she knew that tonight was a teasing night.</p><p>So, with an hour to <em>Moonlight Howl</em>, they both shot each other a knowing look, playfully challenging the other. It was the same look that Link and Pipit shared.</p><p>This was going to be a long night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, listen... I wasn't going to do this scene yet, I had something totally different planned for this chapter. And then, I started to chicken out of writing anything at all because as soon as I put the "implied" content tag, I was like, omg I have to be super careful with everything I say and I kept not wanting to write ANYTHING. So now it's over and I think I kept it within my tag guidelines... if slightly over at the beginning. It's awkward because they're awkward. BUT BOOM IT HAPPENED. HERE IS THE FLUFF. HERE IS ALSO THE MAKEELA AND PIPIT TAG-TEAMING ZELINK FLUFF. TAKE ALL THE FLUFF I HAVE!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Chapter 38</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Link and Zelda woke up three times on Tuesday. For that, they were glad they were on school break still, because they were decidedly not getting enough sleep these days. They’d opted to spend a night at Link’s house, if only because too many nights in a row at her own had made her slightly anxious about her parents’ return in a few days.</p><p>So, she slept comfortably beside Link on his futon bed, too besotted by the heat his bare skin gave off to even consider changing back into something warmer. And Link was all-too eager to act as their blanket, reveling in her own warmth as his arms tucked her tightly against him.</p><p>But Link’s eyes shot open and he sat up in horror.</p><p>“Zelda,” he said, shaking her awake. “Hey, Zelda, wake up.”</p><p>Zelda groaned. They’d <em>just </em>fallen asleep. “What?”</p><p>“We haven’t been thinking. We fucked up. We didn’t use a condom our first time. <em>Times</em>. What do we do?”</p><p>Zelda groaned and turned to him, too groggy for this conversation and too tired to smile at the woken panic in his voice. “Do you have an STD, Link?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>She blinked a few times and then didn’t bother, closing her eyes again. “An STD.”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“You sure?”</p><p>“Yeah. I got screened when I went to jail, which was after—”</p><p>“Okay, then we’re fine,” Zelda muttered, grabbing his arm and trying to make him lie down again. “Go to sleep.”</p><p>“Yeah,” he whispered, “but I meant… like, I’ve never seen you take a pill or anything. I mean, it’s okay if you’re not taking anything but I think we should have thought about that beforehand, you know?”</p><p>“You’re right; I don’t take a pill. But it’s in my arm, so you can go to sleep in peace. Give it a try.”</p><p>“It’s… in your… arm?” he repeated. “Your pill is in your arm? Dissolving?”</p><p>“Okay, we’ll talk now,” Zelda relented, pulling the blanket with her as she rolled onto her back, her head lolling towards him. “It’s not <em>dissolving</em>. It’s a little stick that they put in my arm. I go back in a few years to get it replaced. It’s the same as the pill, just much easier. And it’s over 99% effective. And with timing and everything, we’re pretty safe. It’s… three in the morning. Sleep, Link. Don’t worry about it.”</p><p>Link’s eyebrows shot up, stifling an embarrassed laugh as his face reddened, barley hearing her request for him to calm down. “It’s really 99%? Good to know. Have you been planning all of this longer than I thought?” He cleared his throat and made a vague gesture to her arm. “Can you feel it?”</p><p>She scoffed and stretched out her arm, realizing that she wasn’t going to get to sleep yet. “While I had hoped it would come to sleeping with you, I have not been secretly acquiring birth control in preparation or anything, Link. I had to get this when I was younger. I have some… you know, some weird health things. So I needed the pill, which made another health thing worse, so they gave me this. And no, I can’t feel it. <em>You</em> can, if you want. It’s near the surface.”</p><p>She adjusted her arm and offered Link her hand so she could guide him.</p><p>He took it. “Are you ever going to give me more details on your health?”</p><p>“Nope,” she said, grabbing his wrist. “Not until I need to. I like to pretend I’m totally normal and don’t randomly pass out on people.”</p><p>“Am I still just ‘people’?” he asked as she placed his finger over the smallest scar, barely more than the smallest discoloration of skin. He could feel something when she pressed his fingers down, something like a small lollipop stick. “Oh shit, I can feel it.”</p><p>“Yeah,” she laughed, letting go of his hand, sobering up to look at him intently. “And you’re not <em>just people</em>, Link. I don’t even tell Makeela any details. I’m not dying or anything. I just don’t like not having a normal, healthy human body like everyone else. That’s all.”</p><p>“You’re okay though?”</p><p>She ran a hand comfortingly through his hair. “Yeah. I’m okay. I promise.”</p><p>They fell asleep after that, holding each other a little tighter.</p><p>The second time they woke up was because both of them had forgotten to turn off their alarms for school.</p><p>They’d jumped in a panic, reaching for their phones in a clumsy search, fumbling around until their bleary eyes found the phones and turned off the alarms.</p><p>Zelda had been quick to return to sleep, listening to Link’s racing heart as she rested her head on his chest. But Link couldn’t quite fall back asleep. Nightmares had been haunting him for hours before this anyway, so, he took to running his fingers through Zelda’s hair again and again. While the nightmares hadn’t been about her—or at least, he didn’t <em>think </em>they were since he couldn’t quite recall the details—just her presence was a comfort.</p><p>One thing he loved about their newfound comfort with each other was simply letting his hands run along her smooth skin. His hands were rough and almost aggressively calloused. She’d said that she’d quite liked that about him, but he couldn’t imagine anything being better than her soft skin.</p><p>Eventually, his hand stilled, and his eyes drifted closed.</p><p>Only to shoot open again when his door whipped open a few hours later.</p><p>“Ah!” Aryll yelped, seeing the state of the bed, the clothes on the floor, and specifically Zelda’s back. She turned away. “I’m sorry!” Slamming the door shut, they could hear her nervous giggling on the other side.</p><p>Link sat forward, accidently knocking Zelda off him. Their heads bumped as they both tried to sit up, and Zelda hastily pulled the sheet around her before reaching across Link to grab her shirt off the floor. She hiked Link’s up at him too, and they both raced to get changed before Link hurried to the door and Zelda sat on the end of the bed, the picture of innocence.</p><p>“Yes, Aryll?” Link asked, clearing his throat.</p><p>“How long has this been happening?” Aryll asked, unable to stop herself.</p><p>“Aryll…”</p><p>“Okay, fine,” she laughed, tapping the doorframe anxiously. “I’m going to Collin’s for two days. I have a few tests at school and it’s just easier to stay there. You’ll both be okay? I mean… you won’t lack for entertainment, but that’s not what I mean.”</p><p>“Get out,” Link grumbled, trying to close the door on her.</p><p>“Be safe! I’m not ready to be an Auntie!”</p><p>“Gods,” Zelda muttered from behind Link, stifling a nervous laugh. “How embarrassing!”</p><p>They stayed in the room until they heard Aryll’s keys jingle and she called out a pleasant goodbye to them before closing the door with a loud thud.</p><p>It was only then that Link felt he could let out a breath. “Imagine if we’d been at your house and it had been <em>your</em> parents though? Talk about mortified.”</p><p>“Good gods, I’ve never had a worse thought than that.” She sat up and grabbed some of her things from her backpack, tucking them under her arm. “I’m taking a shower. We have to go soon anyway. Are you ready?”</p><p>Link grabbed a few things from his drawers and nodded, unable to pretend he was anything <em>but </em>ready. </p>
<hr/><p>Link slid out of Zelda’s car, bursting with excitement. Admittedly, she was pretty excited herself, but seeing Link practically bouncing had her grinning like a fool, his worries from the night entirely forgotten for the time.</p><p>Before they reached the door, Link pulled Zelda aside, away from the large windows, and kissed her. “Thank you for this,” he whispered before pulling away and leading her inside.</p><p>She followed, holding the door open as she marveled at the interior of the building. The walls were lined with art, displays with books lined the back of several couches and overfilled an end table. She glanced at one while Link went to the counter.</p><p>Flipping the pages, she realized she was staring at, not <em>just </em>art, but potential tattoos. And she turned the page again to see the art she’d just looked at etched into someone’s arm, just as gorgeous and detailed as the sketch had been. Entranced, she studied the pages again and again, marveling at each one of the examples. It was only when she felt the couch sink down that she realized Link had returned.</p><p>They leaned into each other so they could both look at the pages.</p><p>“He’s drawing it up now,” Link said, stilling her hand from turning a page as he scrutinized one of the images before letting her flip again.</p><p>“And you’re sure about where you want it?”</p><p>He grabbed a different book, and Zelda set hers down, intrigued that it seemed each book contained a different style of art. She looked on with Link.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll just have to suffer Mrs. Joy when we get back.”</p><p>Link would be getting a new tattoo on his upper arm. It was of an ancient eye, ever seeing and watchful, finding the truth and keeping the bearer safe from harm. Zelda knew he liked his tattoos to have meaning, but she couldn’t help but wonder if it meant something more was going on inside his mind.</p><p>When he was called in, Zelda followed. They greeted Tijo, the tattoo artist and showed Link the work. Approved, Link sat in the chair.</p><p>“This your girlfriend?” he asked, smiling a greeting at Zelda while he got his things ready.</p><p>“Yep. She’s never seen someone get a tattoo before.”</p><p>Tijo chuckled, taking his seat. “You going to be my next customer?”</p><p>Zelda crossed her arms, watching from the corner. “I don’t know. My parents would disown me.” She thought on that for a moment. It seemed like they were pretty close already.</p><p>Link shot her a sad look, but Tijo didn’t notice the subcontext of it. “Well, maybe someday when you move out and live on your own.”</p><p>“Maybe,” Zelda said with a forced smile.</p><p>The high pitched buzzing of the needle reminded her of the dentist’s office. The music playing in the background reminded her of a rock concert. It was two very conflicting feelings she was left with, not knowing which felt more appropriate.</p><p>Tijo himself, however, reminded her of her hairdresser.</p><p>As he set to work on Link’s arm, he started talking and talking, telling stories of other customers that had them both laughing along.</p><p>“—and he wanted this crazy fish thing, some folklore fish god, and I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Give me a reference or I’ll just be freehanding a giant fish.’ So that pissed him off, because apparently I’m supposed to know what every god looks like off the top of my damn head. Finally, he gets me the picture. It’s a fucking whale. He could have said ‘draw a whale’ and it would have been closer than what he’d been describing to me. Needless to say, that was the best godsdamned whale I’ve ever done.”</p><p>Zelda was most intrigued with how much Link’s arm bled. It wasn’t significant, not a wound, but—despite the fact that she was aware that tattoos were needles and ink injected into skin—she hadn’t quite expected to see <em>any </em>blood.</p><p>A couple of hours in, and Tijo finally put his things down. “Okay, you’re all set. Take a look.”</p><p>He held a mirror out for Link, who inspected his arm with a wide smile on his face. “It’s fucking incredible,” he laughed, turning his arm.</p><p>Zelda had to agree as she looked on. It wasn’t nearly as detailed as his larger one of the goddess, but it didn’t slouch. The smaller details, the colors, it was stunning. She could see why he’d only gone to Tijo for his tattoos.</p><p>Once it had been covered and Link had been given his instructions to care for it, though it was clear he was barely listening since it wasn’t his first time around, they left the parlor and sat in the car.</p><p>Link grabbed Zelda’s hand and she flinched away.</p><p>“Gods, your hand is so cold.”</p><p>He chuckled and tugged on his short sleeve. “<em>I’m </em>freezing.”</p><p>Zelda smirked and rested her warm hand on the back of his neck.</p><p>His head snapped back, pinning her in place so she couldn’t move it and he let out a contented sigh. “You’re going to have to drive like this now.” He tilted his head, keeping her pinned, and lightly kissed the inside of her arm, all he could reach from that position. “Thank you again for the gift. Don’t pay that much again, though. But thank you.”</p><p>“Glad you liked it.”</p><p>“What’d you think in there? Everything you imagined?”</p><p>She wriggled her hand free and shifted gears. “Not exactly what I’d pictured. It was more fun though. I think that scene in <em>Dating Shad</em> scarred me, because I though it would be a dark basement looking rom with a little lamp or something.”</p><p>“<em>Dating Shad</em>? You watch that?”</p><p>“Shad needs to find love too, you know.”</p><p>He snorted and rolled his eyes. “That’s such a fake show.”</p><p>“So is <em>Moonlight Howl</em> and we love that.”</p><p>“Don’t bash <em>Moonlight Howl,</em> Zel.”</p><p>“Don’t bash <em>Dating Shad</em>, Link.”</p><p>Link smirked and leaned against the window. “Hey, look.”</p><p>Zelda squinted as a few raindrops hit the windshield. But as she looked closer, she let out a breathy laugh. “It’s snowing.”</p><p>“Yeah. A little early for snow.”</p><p>“I like it. I hope we get a foot.”</p><p>Link tilted his head to watch Zelda, a smile on his face. “I’d rather we get snow during school. Snow day.”</p><p>“Fair point. But snow means we get to stay inside. And you know what we can do inside?”</p><p>Shrugging, Link waited, though he knew exactly what she was implying.</p><p>She chuckled, glancing at his nonchalant expression. “We can watch <em>The Twilight Throne</em>. Obviously.”</p><p>“Or <em>Dating Shad.”</em></p><p>“If you end up with dysentery someday, I’ll sit on the couch and binge <em>Dating Shad</em> with you.”</p><p>“You’re the worst,” she laughed.</p><p>“You love me.”</p><p>Stopping at a red light, she turned to Link, admiring him for a long moment. He was relaxed, calm, happy. “Yeah, I do.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, this was a filler chapter for several reasons. <br/>1: I’ve severely miscounted the number of hours in a day and decided it was a great idea to do Linktober, Whumptober, Drawtober, and work on 4 full-length fics all at once. Also wrote Revali a 3000 word backstory mini fic for absolutely no good reason that I might post to my Tumblr eventually. <br/>2: I graded and actually commented on 160 annotated bibliographies this week and submitted midterm grades EARLY FOR ONCE!! (I’m a chronic procrastinator so this is big). <br/>3: I just want to get to the next chapter because I like it way better than this one. <br/>So, this is definitely not the best chapter I’ve ever written and it’s like, a mess, but honestly, I just wanted to get this chapter over with after how crazy this week has been. Please forgive how not-great this chapter is. I promise I’ll do better next time. We’ll probably just call October “the month with the fewest chapters getting done.” I needed to vent. I’m good now. I’m going to go work on the next chapter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Chapter 39</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>SPOILER for a second because I think I’d like to put a WARNING (mostly because I only just added the warning tags too), but at in the second section (separated by those long line things) there’s a panic attack/having a flashback scene for Link. It ends at the next set of lines if that’s something you want to skip.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda reread the page in front of her for the third time. Though she liked to consider herself a person who could focus, or better yet, multitask, she just couldn’t. Not today.</p>
<p>Not with Link sitting on the other end of the couch playing the guitar and humming along to the tune he played.</p>
<p>If nothing else, she decided to at least pretend she was reading, if only so she didn’t spook him. She knew he wasn’t extremely confident with his voice. He certainly would stop humming if she was too obvious. But she loved listening to him when he ended up zoning out in his music. She didn’t know if it meant he was just <em>that </em>comfortable around her, or that he’d forgotten she was there entirely.</p>
<p>Either way, she kept her mouth shut and admired him, though not without seeing even the parts about him he tried to hide.</p>
<p>He looked tired. There were dark circles under his eyes. She’d felt him wake up several times each night, though he’d refused to explain what was happening. Each night, she’d feel him tug at the blankets, not out of cold, but out of a desperate need to grab something. It made him sluggish each morning, especially before they’d eat breakfast.</p>
<p>And she’d noticed that each morning for several days now, he’d taken two pills for pain, claiming his neck was ‘just stiff’ every time she asked if he was okay. She could see it as she watched him play. Something about him was tense, not relaxed as he usually was.</p>
<p>Something was wrong. And he wouldn’t tell her.</p>
<p>She watched his fingers strum the strings. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with his motor function. His appetite had been decent, though admittedly, they’d both been slacking on making any decent meals since Aryll had been gone. She’d said she’d return in a few hours, so they’d actually planned to cook for her return.</p>
<p>He seemed to sense that he was being watched and his eyes flickered up, giving Zelda a small smile and, predictably, stopped humming.</p>
<p>They stared at each other for a while before Zelda finally sighed. “I love you.”</p>
<p>Link smirked, his eyebrow raising in confusion. “What did I do?”</p>
<p>“Nothing. I’m just saying.”</p>
<p>“Okay. I love you too.” He made a face that said he didn’t believe that it was unprompted, but he set the guitar down to get a better look at her. “You look sad.”</p>
<p>Zelda shrugged. “I am, a bit.”</p>
<p>“Your parents?”</p>
<p>She glanced at the window. It was raining hard, and the wind had changed directions, beating against the glass loudly. It had distracted her for a moment. “Yeah. That’s one of the bigger things.”</p>
<p>“Want to make a game plan for when they come back home? We can camp out in the driveway and you can demand their attention at the risk of being run over.”</p>
<p>She chuckled at the ridiculousness of it. “Yeah, sure. Great plan, Link.”</p>
<p>Zelda put the bookmark in her page and set the book down on the coffee table before sliding onto Link’s side of the couch, leaning back into him like a glorified pillow. He wrapped his arms around her and they returned to a comfortable silence for a while. Link’s hand ended up running through her hair several times, something Zelda knew by now was also a way of distracting himself.</p>
<p>“I love you,” he whispered.</p>
<p>Zelda chuckled this time, getting comfortable. “Play me a song.”</p>
<p>“Good response,” he laughed, grabbing his guitar again and awkwardly setting it in front of both of them. Nothing about the position of his arms was comfortable, but he managed.</p>
<p>And he hummed in her ear as he played.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Link wasn’t usually the kind of person to sleep in hoodies.</p>
<p>They often choked him in the night and made him uncomfortable. But it was unbearably cold in the house that night.</p>
<p>Aryll had come home, admired Link’s new tattoo, and rushed for a warm shower. Link and Zelda had huddled under the warmest comforter, watching a movie under as many blankets as possible. Even Zelda was layered up, wearing her favorite shirt to sleep in, one with a large hole in the hem, and one of Link’s loose sweatshirts. She even wore socks.</p>
<p>In the bed, they clung to each other for warmth. After realizing that Link’s house was just <em>too </em>cold, they’d both decided that it would be best to stay at Zelda’s the next night, where central heating was a thing.</p>
<p>So, when Zelda felt Link’s sticky warm skin against her cheek, she knew something strange was happening.</p>
<p>She’d woken to the rapid raise and fall of Link’s chest, sending her jerking up and down with its quick motions. At first, she simply stirred, moving off him a bit as if she were the one making him sweat, but when she heard Link groan, almost like he was in pain, her eyes shot open.</p>
<p>Sure, he’d had nightmares for the past several nights. But he’d usually wake up with a sudden jerk, glance at her to see if he’d woken her, take a deep breath followed by shallower calming ones, and then try to drift off to sleep again.</p>
<p>It had never been like this. He’d never made a sound other than a gasp or a deep breath. He’d never sweat like he was in a sauna.</p>
<p>His brow was deeply furrowed, and even from this distance, she could see the droplets of sweat raining off his forehead. One of his hands was desperately clutching the blanket, white knuckled, and the other was holding the pillow with the same intensity.</p>
<p>But Zelda truly felt concerned when she noticed that one of the drops of sweat wasn’t that at all. It was a tear.</p>
<p>“Link?” she tried, lightly shaking him.</p>
<p>The noises he was making now were pained and choked, halfway to a sob and nothing like she’d ever heard from him before.</p>
<p>“Link, wake up.” She shook him again.</p>
<p>A keening sound burst from him, and he rolled over, pushing his face into the pillow and stifled another noise.</p>
<p>This sound was an actual yell, guttural and raw, smothered into the fabric and muffling it as well as possible.</p>
<p>“Oh gods, Link!” she hissed, shaking harder this time. “What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>His hands went to his hair, tightening into a fist, his elbows covering his face as he let out another scream.</p>
<p>“Hey! What’s happening?” Zelda practically screamed herself. “Are you hurt? Please!”</p>
<p>This time, he sat up, his entire body shuddering, tears and sweat pouring down his face. And his hands clawed at his throat where the sweatshirt was, tugging it as far away from him as he could. Zelda could hear ripping from the fabric.</p>
<p>Zelda quickly pulled it off him, mouth dropping when she realized that he was <em>drenched</em> in a fine sheen of sweat. His teeshirt was clinging to him, and his hands came back damp when they ran through his hair again.</p>
<p>“I can’t… I can’t… I can’t…” he repeated over and over again until it became little more than a whisper.</p>
<p>Confusion wasn’t the word for what Zelda felt. Horrified, panicked, and afraid were more like it. But no matter what she tried, Link just kept making noises, rocking, and frantically clawing at pieces of himself, be it his shirt, his throat, his hair.</p>
<p>Zelda slid from the bed and ran from the room, bursting into Aryll’s room.</p>
<p>Aryll sat up with a panicked gasp. “What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“Link. I don’t know… I… he’s…”</p>
<p>Zelda couldn’t find the words, but she didn’t need to. Aryll was on her feet, pushing past Zelda to get to the other room, leaving Zelda on her heels.</p>
<p>“Oh,” Aryll whispered, sitting on the bed and pulling Link to her, holding him tightly. She turned to Zelda and gestured her over, though her attention went straight back to Link. “You’re okay.”</p>
<p>“It…” he hissed, pressing his forehead into her shoulder before letting out a pained noise again before his hand shot to his shoulder.</p>
<p>“No, it’s over,” Aryll said, shifting a bit. Zelda was walking over beside her, and Aryll’s head gestured for Zelda to take a seat on the bed. “Look,” Aryll cooed, running a comforting hand through Link’s hair. “Zelda’s here. She wasn’t here then, right? So you’re not there.”</p>
<p>“I need to… lean back,” Link breathed.</p>
<p>Aryll let him go and he scampered back, pushing his back into the headboard, letting out a relieved sound, though his eyes darted all around the room.</p>
<p>“Link,” Aryll tried again, but this time, he shook his head, stopping her.</p>
<p>“I need dad.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>Zelda watched carefully as Link tried to slow his breathing, wiping tears from his wet face. “I need to go see dad. He’s the only one left who knows what happened. Did I… did I hold his hand?”</p>
<p>“Dad’s?”</p>
<p>“Mikau.”</p>
<p>Aryll let out a long sigh and shook her head. “I don’t think you should, Link.”</p>
<p>Link ran his hand along his palm, feeling for something that wasn’t there. “Did I hold my best friend’s hand when he died? Was I even conscious?”</p>
<p>“We’ll go through the medical files tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“That won’t fucking tell me what happened, Aryll.”</p>
<p>“Neither will dad.”</p>
<p>He pushed her hands away from him and stood up, cradling his head in his arms as he crossed the room and left them both for the kitchen.</p>
<p>Zelda let out a breath and turned to Aryll. “What’s happening?”</p>
<p>“We’re near the anniversary of the car accident. This happens every year. He gets nightmares a lot around this time. Sometimes they’re bad.” Aryll’s ears perked at a sound and she slid from the bed before hurrying out into the kitchen. Her hand grabbed Link’s fiercely, tugging him backwards. “Hell no.”</p>
<p>Zelda followed, hovering in the doorway as Link pulled his hand from Aryll’s. “Fuck off! Let me go!”</p>
<p>“No! You’re not driving anywhere, so give me the damned keys!”</p>
<p>“I have to go!”</p>
<p>Zelda hurried over to him, moving between him and Aryll. He grabbed her for a moment, prepared to move her aside, but his hand relaxed and he let go. Aryll was able to grab the keys, tucking them into her palm.</p>
<p>Zelda stared at Link for a moment, watching as his glazed expression, thick with sleep and red with tears.</p>
<p>He bit his lip, trying to stop fresh tears from falling, but it was no use. He was still breathing in short, shallow gasps. Another pained noise and he was bending down, cradling his head again as it throbbed.</p>
<p>Aryll glanced at Zelda, gesturing for her to do something. She knew that she would agitate Link more. “I’m going to run some cold water.”</p>
<p>Zelda nodded before kneeling in front of Link, putting her hand lightly on his knee.</p>
<p>“Gods,” he muttered when he’d gotten some of his breath back. “I don’t… I can’t remember.”</p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p>“I look like a lunatic.”</p>
<p>Zelda shook her head quickly. “No. No, you don’t. Don’t say that.”</p>
<p>He covered his mouth, discreetly wiping his eyes with his thumb. When that didn’t stop them, he grabbed his soaked shirt and pressed it into his eyes, firmly rubbing them clear before quickly pinching his nose and letting go.</p>
<p>“You know what’s sick?” he laughed darkly, more tears coming to his eyes. He scowled, trying to stop them again. “I want my parents. My fucking jackass parents. I have Aryll who loves and cares about me more than anyone, and I can’t stop myself from wanting my fucking deadbeat parents right now. How sick is that?”</p>
<p>“It’s not. I get it.” She had to wipe her own tear away. Seeing Link like this… she couldn’t help herself. She pulled him against her, holding him as tight as she could. “I’m not your mother, but I love you. You have me.”</p>
<p>“Thank fuck you’re not my mother,” he laughed. “Oh gods, I’m damaged goods, Zel. I’m fucked up. You can run and I won’t blame you. You should go. I’m that guy who got his best friend killed. I deserved to be in jail for that, too.”</p>
<p>Zelda couldn’t muster up a kind voice in response to that. “Stop it,” she hissed. “That’s not even… you didn’t kill him. You got into a car with him. You weren’t driving. And you’re not responsible for other people’s actions. So stop it.”</p>
<p>“He’d be 20.”</p>
<p>“Stop.”</p>
<p>“You know, I can <em>feel </em>something in my back. I’m sore, like I was after we crashed. But I can’t… I can’t see anything. I can’t remember where I was, or if I crawled. I just… I can’t. But my dad would know. He was awake. They said he was.”</p>
<p>“He was also drunk,” Zelda reminded him, perhaps a bit too harshly. “You can’t expect him to remember any more than you do.”</p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p>Zelda glanced up, seeing Aryll’s shadow in the doorway, watching them.</p>
<p>Without words to be spoken, Link began to breathe harder again.  </p>
<p>“Link, maybe the cold water will help a bit. You’re still dripping sweat.”</p>
<p>He absently ran a hand along his forehead, staring at it as it came back soaked. He finally turned to Aryll.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“Shut up, dork.”</p>
<p>He scoffed and nodded, pushing himself to his feet, feeling unsteady. As he passed Aryll, he grabbed her hand, letting go before he went into the bathroom and closed the door.</p>
<p>Zelda let out a shaky breath. “What just happened?”</p>
<p>But Aryll sat on the couch, staring at the closed bathroom door. “He can’t go see our dad. Not when he’s like this. If he wants to find out if the man knows anything, he needs to be clear-headed. Last year, we went through all the reports, and there was nothing. Last year… the anniversary was awful. If you thought this was bad, it’s nothing. He was… he was asleep and dreaming and screaming. He remembers it when he’s asleep, but when he wakes up, he can’t remember. I don’t know what it is, but I know that he was in pain when it happened. Pain for more than one reason, I guess. I think he was awake until help came.”</p>
<p>“Why do you think that?” Zelda asked when she realized Aryll wasn’t continuing.</p>
<p>“Just the things he was saying in his sleep. I think he saw his best friend bleeding and watched him die, and his brain is doing everything it can to protect him, but being the stubborn person he is, he’s fighting it. And I think that he’s going to have a hard time putting himself back together if he does remember.” Aryll finally looked away from the door. “Try to talk him down if he mentions our dad again. I know it’s not all on you, but he might care more about your opinion than mine. He knows where I stand with that man.”</p>
<p>Zelda took a breath and pulled the sweatshirt she wore tighter around her. “What else can I do?”</p>
<p>“Just keep your eye on him. He’s a good one, but he doesn’t see it. Remind him that you do.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Zelda woke the next morning to an empty bed. Link wasn’t in the house, and his motorcycle was gone.</p>
<p>She was fine to give him his space, but when evening rolled around without word from him, both Aryll and Zelda began to get nervous.</p>
<p>After checking the park and Gabe’s, both to no avail, Zelda stopped in front of the local cemetery and turned in on a hunch.</p>
<p>She didn’t know where she was going. It was huge, with several streets that lasted a long while each. But when she finally spotted his motorcycle, she quickly called Aryll to let her know she’d found Link before hanging up and pulling up beside his bike.</p>
<p>She grabbed her keys and coat, tugging it on before heading down the row to where she could see Link lying in the grass.</p>
<p>“Oh, Link,” she muttered, too low for him to hear as she approached. She could see several discarded cigarettes, an open pack that was nearly empty, and lighter beside them, with smoke rising up from his mouth. Finally, she bent near him, sitting in the grass beside his head.</p>
<p>“Oh fuck,” he muttered, turning his head away from her.</p>
<p>“You had us both worried. You wouldn’t answer our calls. It’s been, like, eight hours or something.”</p>
<p>His eyes were bloodshot, and he pulled the cigarette from his mouth, letting it rest between his fingers in his limp hand.</p>
<p>“Now you know I’m fine. Just go.”</p>
<p>He reeked of smoke, his hand shaking as he brought the cigarette back to his mouth.</p>
<p>“Link…”</p>
<p>“I’m a fuck up, and you deserve better. Go.”</p>
<p>Zelda gasped as she looked closer at his hand and reached to take the cigarette from him, snuffing it out before tossing it with the rest.</p>
<p>Link sat up, annoyance all over his face.</p>
<p>“Look at your hands,” Zelda countered, grabbing his left. There were marks from where he’d let it burn too low in his fingers, and small circles on his other, from his hand going limp and resting against his skin with a burning cigarette. There was ash on his neck from his carelessness. “I don’t care if you started smoking again, but you’re not going to do it if you’re going to hurt yourself.”</p>
<p>“Isn’t the act of me smoking hurting myself?”</p>
<p>“Then why are you doing it?”</p>
<p>“Better than getting drunk and driving home.”</p>
<p> “Link…”</p>
<p>“You know,” Link said, taking the box in his hand and staring at it for a while before speaking again. “This is the first pack I legally bought.”</p>
<p>“We’ll commemorate the day,” Zelda said dryly.</p>
<p>It made Link’s lip twitch up, but it wasn’t a real smile. “I think I’m going to throw up.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t be surprised if you do. You told me you’re not a chain-smoker.”</p>
<p>“I’m not. Usually.”</p>
<p>Link reached for the box and pulled out another cigarette, staring at it before handing Zelda the box.</p>
<p>“I don’t want one.”</p>
<p>“Take it from me. One more and I’m done.”</p>
<p>She grabbed the box and sealed it, sticking it in her bag as she watched Link light the cigarette in his hand.</p>
<p>“Zel?”</p>
<p>“Mhmm?”</p>
<p>Link let out a long breath, watching the smoke billow into the sky. “Will you sit with me? I know I asked you to go… but I don’t want you to. Not really.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. I’ll stay.”</p>
<p>Link leaned back into the grass, resting his head against Zelda’s knee. “I can’t believe I’m going to need to get that fucking gum again.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, if you think you’ll need it.”</p>
<p>“You ever…” Link thought for a moment, staring at the cigarette again. “Have you ever been so dehydrated that you drank some water. And you kept drinking it, even when you started feeling sick and you could barely swallow, but you just… keep drinking. That’s this. It’s burning my throat. And my hands, apparently. And here I am, with one more.”</p>
<p>Zelda ran her hand through his hair. “Are you trying to tell me that you’re going to throw up on me?”</p>
<p>Link laughed, genuinely laughed, before coughing, smoke coming out of his mouth as he did. “No. I promise, I’ll look the other way.”</p>
<p>“Okay, good.”</p>
<p>Link closed his eyes for a moment, exhausted. Zelda watched his hand, keeping an eye on the cigarette for him. He opened them again. “I want to save someone’s life. Maybe even the score.”</p>
<p>“Does that mean you want to be a paramedic or something?”</p>
<p>“No,” he said, holding out the cigarette to Zelda. “Can you put it out?”</p>
<p>She did and put it in the pile with the rest.</p>
<p>He closed his eyes again. “Mikau built things. He taught me to fix them. I want to work on things that will save someone’s life. For some twisted reason, I like cars, despite everything. But I want to do more than work on them. If I get into college, I’m going to go with mechanical engineering. Not electronics. I like math anyway.”</p>
<p>“You’ll get in. And you’ll do great.”</p>
<p>Link grabbed Zelda’s free hand and held it as he stared up at her. “Are you really going into economics? Or business?”</p>
<p>“What else is there for me?”</p>
<p>Link let out a deep breath. “You should just go in undecided and do your gen eds. Find something you love, not something you want to tolerate.”</p>
<p>“Like what? I’ve never had that passion. You <em>know </em>what you want. You even had two things you loved. I have nothing.”</p>
<p>“You’ll find it. And if nothing else, you’re good at chemistry. You could be a mad scientist. Crazy static hair from all your experiments and stuff.”</p>
<p>Zelda chuckled. “Oh yeah, I can see it now.”</p>
<p>“You could be a doctor.”</p>
<p>“Too much school. I don’t think I’d make it that long.”</p>
<p>“Vet.”</p>
<p>“I’d cry if I had to put any animals to sleep. Though I did used to be an excellent stuffed animal surgeon.”</p>
<p>Link laughed and held her tighter, struggling to keep his eyes open. “You’ll find it.”</p>
<p>It wasn’t long before he’d fallen asleep in her lap, breathing calmly, unlike the night before. She sent Aryll a text to let her know that Link was okay, and then sent one to Gabe, asking if he could bring Link’s bike to her house later. He said yes, but Zelda didn’t bother to head there yet herself.</p>
<p>Instead, she let Link sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I mentioned that I wrote a companion piece for this fic, just a little backstory of Revali and Sidon before the story starts. Revali basically starts trying to accept that Zelda isn’t the only one he has feelings for, but if it all went smoothly, it wouldn’t be angsty. So that exists, if you want to read that; it’s only on my Tumblr though. If you do read it though, let me know if it  sucks, because I've never written a oneshot before that wasn't literally rehashing game events, so I don't know what I'm doing with oneshots! Here's the link if you're interested! <br/>https://deiliamedlini.tumblr.com/post/632369726202527744/small-steps-3309-words-companion-oneshot-to</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Chapter 40</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was a distinct change in Link that Zelda noticed all too easily. He’d spent the day at her house, but he was sluggish and almost empty. Zelda did what she could, trying to get him to laugh, or even just to smile. But even that seemed forced out of him.</p><p>They’d fought about food all day. It seemed to be the only constant. Link wanted cereal, but Zelda wanted to make eggs. Which normally would have been fine, but Link seemed to believe the eggs were for him, and Zelda couldn’t help but feel too frustrated at his repeated insistence that he didn’t want eggs.</p><p>Lunch turned into a “you need to eat” versus “I’m not hungry” debate. It was a back and forth that seemed to never end until Link found his way outside to take a long walk around the neighborhood, making sure to leave his wallet and lighter behind, just in case he was caught by the urge to buy a pack of cigarettes again, which admittedly, crossed his mind several times on his walk.</p><p>Dinner was torture. They’d both spent nearly an hour complaining about their inability to agree on any one food, then proceeded to spend the next hour staring at the delivery apps on their phones, unable to choose anything that suited them both. Two separate orders later, they sat in silence on the couch while they ate their meals.</p><p>It wasn’t until she’d finished her Lizalfos Licks for desert that she felt the couch sag, and turned to see Link looking as tired and defeated as when he’d woken up.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he muttered, staring at the ceiling.</p><p>Zelda watched him for a moment, taking in the dark circles under his eyes. They’d been present all day, but in the light from the television, they were particularly noticeable. “Me too.”</p><p>“I’ll be better tomorrow.”</p><p>Zelda shrugged and sighed. “We can have bad days. It’s okay.”</p><p>Link finally glanced at her before returning his eyes to the unmoving fan on the ceiling. “I don’t want us to have bad days.”</p><p>“Well, it’s going to happen.”</p><p>“That doesn’t mean I <em>want </em>it to,” he snapped back. But he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. “Sorry again.”</p><p>“Stop apologizing already, okay?”</p><p>Pushing his hair back, he sat up, getting a better look at Zelda. Her face was lit by her phone, but she locked it and put it down when she saw Link staring. He held out his hand, which Zelda gingerly took.</p><p>Link pulled her towards him, letting her rest against him while his lips brushed her neck apologetically. “I love you.”</p><p>Zelda smirked. No matter how often he said it, she still felt a flutter in her heart. But today, it felt like something more. Something like ‘even though I don’t like you today, I still love you.’</p><p>“I love you too, Link.”</p>
<hr/><p>And the next day, Link did try to do better. He’d gone out early and bought new patches and a new box of gum along with some small groceries that they’d depleted, like the milk.</p><p>So when Zelda woke up and trudged downstairs, still in her oversized shirt and baggy sweatpants, hair a disheveled mess, and eyes still heavy with sleep, she was more than a little surprised to see Link leaning over the stove before dropping something into a plate. He seemed blissfully unaware of her presence.</p><p>His head was bobbing rhythmically, and she could only guess that he had a song stuck in his head. She could actually hear him humming when she got closer, leaning against the counter still unnoticed.</p><p>Link began rummaging through the cabinet, grabbing salt and pepper, but Zelda could see that there was something missing as his head stopped bobbing and instead went rapidly side to side. And she knew when she saw the ketchup in front of her that it <em>had </em>to be what he was looking for, because Link was the only person she knew who put ketchup on eggs. And she could smell eggs, despite being unable to see the plates in front of him.</p><p>She held it out, waiting for him to turn around.</p><p>So when he did, he let out a surprised laugh and pulled a headphone from his ear, letting it hang in front of him as he reached for the ketchup.</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>Zelda could finally see that she was right; there were eggs in the plates. Plates. One for her, and one for him.</p><p>“Hey yourself.”</p><p>He glanced back at the plates and slid hers across the counter. “I was going to keep it warm for you until you woke up, but I was too hungry to wait.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Zelda said, handing him a fork with an appreciative smile. “It looks good.”</p><p>They ate in silence, Zelda finishing first. She watched Link play with the eggs in his plate each time before he took a bite. It was unlike him.</p><p>“You okay?”</p><p>Link reached into his pocket and tapped his phone a few times before sliding it over to her. “I got this this morning. I… I don’t know what to do with it.”</p><p>Zelda grabbed it and read the first line:</p><p>
  <em>Dear Link Hunter,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Congratulations! On behalf of the University of Central Hyrule, I would like to welcome you to our family! Your early decision application has been accepted, and we look forward to hearing back from you soon! Here at UCH, we believe…</em>
</p><p>Zelda looked up. “UCH?”</p><p>Link clasped his hand over his mouth and nodded slowly. “It was my reach school. I didn’t think I’d get in. I just figured, ‘what the hell?’ Keep scrolling.”</p><p>Zelda fought to keep a wide smile off her face as she scrolled, noticing the next email linked just below it.</p><p>
  <em>Dear Link Hunter,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Congratulations! You are this year’s recipient of the Better Futures Scholarship. Through your hard work and dedication, you have been hand selected as the student who shows the most promise from those in our program. It’s hard to turn your life around, but you’ve persevered! Continued support from our community to you is contingent on your sustained progress, and your commitment to becoming a full-time student. The funds will be directly added to the school you fill out on your acceptance form, attached below…</em>
</p><p>“Link…”</p><p>There was an unfallen tear in his eye as he bit back a smile of his own. “I didn’t think they’d want me. That school… it’s a <em>reach</em> school for me.”</p><p>Zelda handed the phone back. “You’re going to do it though, right?”</p><p>With a deep breath, Link shrugged. “This scholarship isn’t the one I’ve been telling you about. That only applies at the local community college, and I don’t even know if I’d get that one yet. I… I just kept applying to everything.</p><p>“But this…it’s not a full scholarship, and I don’t know if I can afford it anyway. It’s much more expensive. And I’d probably have to move into housing or find a cheap place because Central Hyrule is a hike. Gas alone would suck, plus if it snows, I can’t rely on Aryll’s car; that’s not fair, plus I know she wants to move in with Collin at some point. I don’t know which one is cheaper. I’d have to do some math and start comparing… but then I’d also have to factor in things like textbooks. I can’t do it. I can’t go there.”</p><p>“Don’t put it aside yet, Link. You got in! Enjoy that! You got the scholarship! You’ll probably get more! And maybe Pipit will move in. Or, hey, I applied to UCH. I didn’t do early decision, so I won’t hear for a while, but maybe we could split rent or something if I get in. Or eve if I’m somewhere else, we can think of something. I mean, if that’s even something you’d want to consider. But wither way, I meant that you have options.”</p><p>Link chuckled, pushing his plate aside. “Did you just ask to move in together?”</p><p>“In the near future, yeah. I kind of guess I did.” Her face flushed a bright red. “It’s weird. I didn’t mean to make it weird. I just meant that we’re kind of doing that now, and it would have been convenient.”</p><p>“Convenient?” Link raised and eyebrow and started to laugh. “You’re making this so romantic.”</p><p>“I just…” she bit her lip and shrugged. “But you got in!”</p><p>Looking back at his phone, he spun it in his hand. “I got in. I got in. Like, what the fuck? I got into my reach school.”</p><p>“Because you’re smart. Smarter than you like to give yourself credit for.”</p><p>His grin was touching his eyes now. “They have my major there, you know? I wouldn’t be in a general STEM program. I’d be in mechanical engineering.”</p><p>“Would you have a minor?”</p><p>Link thought for a minute, his eyes lighting up as he glanced back at her. “Well, electrical, obviously.”</p><p>Zelda snorted. “Obviously.”</p><p>“What if it was a mistake? What if they meant to send it to some other Link?”</p><p>Zelda rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around Link. “It’s not a mistake. And we’re going to go get ice cream before <em>Moonlight Howl</em> later to celebrate, okay? Whether you decided to go there or not, you got in! We’re celebrating that.”</p><p>“You buying? I have to save up.”</p><p>Laughing, Zelda nodded. “Yeah, I’ll buy.”</p>
<hr/><p>Several hours later, Link was far too comfortable in Zelda’s bed.</p><p>He was sprawled out while she sat at her desk, writing something down from her computer while he rested, playing a game on his phone. But he wasn’t <em>really </em>interested in resting or playing the game.</p><p>“Hey,” Link said, getting Zelda’s attention.</p><p>“Hi.”</p><p>He smirked and rolled around completely so he was on his stomach at the end of the bed, facing her. “What are you doing?”</p><p>Zelda made a face, looking him over for a minute. “Are you bored, Link?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Liar.”</p><p>Link shrugged, not bothering to deny it this time. “Want to do something <em>fun</em>?”</p><p>Zelda returned to her notes. “We’re going for ice cream later still, right?”</p><p>“I meant… right now.”</p><p>Zelda put the pen down and turned to Link, laughing. “Honestly, you’re something else.”</p><p>He pointed accusingly at her, though his amused smile had them both fighting not to laugh more. “You’re thinking it, too. One of the last nights we can do it here before your parents come back.”</p><p>Snorting, Zelda crossed her arms. “I wasn’t thinking that, actually.”</p><p>Link leaned back, getting comfortable again. “Okay. Another time then.”</p><p>Rolling her eyes, Zelda went over to the bed and crawled onto it, straddling Link and bringing her lips down to his. “That’s not what I said.”</p><p>He chuckled, the sound caught low in his throat before they crashed together again, enjoying themselves a little too much. After yesterday, it was like making up. After that morning, it was like celebrating.</p><p>Zelda nearly didn’t hear her phone ringing.</p><p>She sat up with a start, pushing her hair back and rushing over to her desk with an annoyed groan. “Hold that thought,” she breathed to Link.</p><p>Checking the ID, she showed it to Link. “Recognize the number?”</p><p>He sat up, squinting, and shook his head.</p><p>“Hello?” she asked, feeling something light hit her in the back. She turned to see Link’s shirt on her shoulder, and shot him a playfully annoyed look, not bothering to hide the eager way she looked him over. “Yes, this is she. May I ask who’s calling?”</p><p>Zelda watched Link bask on the bed, and she moved to sit beside him, crossing her legs and getting comfortable. “Yes, I’ll hold.”</p><p>Link sat up and heard the tell-tale sound of ‘hold’ music on the other end. “Who is it?”</p><p>Zelda shrugged. “My doctor’s office or something.”</p><p>Chuckling at her blatant apathy, he pressed his lips to her neck, eagerly distracting her and easing her boredom while she waited.</p><p>She let out a soft squeak when she felt Link’s teeth and tongue, but covered her nose to stop any more noise, relieved that the hold music was still playing.</p><p>But when it finally turned off, and she heard the person on the other end, she pushed Link away. And as they spoke, she turned to stare wide-eyed at Link as she listened. “No problem. Um, yes, I have a minute. I have several minutes. I’m free right now.” She made a mortified face, and Link squinted, trying to figure out what was happening.</p><p>He leaned closer so he could hear the loud voice on the other end.</p><p>“—and just a brief phone interview. Does that sound good?”</p><p>“Yes,” Zelda said, too eagerly. “yes, that sounds perfect.”</p><p>Link practically threw himself off the bed to get away from her. “<em>Job interview</em>?” he signed.</p><p>She nodded vigorously and Link had to stop himself from vocalizing his excitement for her.  He grabbed his shirt and threw it on. “<em>I’ll hang in the other room</em>.”</p><p>“Okay,” she mouthed, feeling her hands shake with a sudden onslaught of nerves.</p><p>Link closed the door behind him so any noise he made would be muffled before disturbing her. There was a large red album on the shelf, and Link pulled it down, opening to the first page, trying to ease his boredom. He’d left his phone in her room, and he didn’t want to risk putting the television on. So he was left with a photo album of people he didn’t know and names he didn’t recognize.</p><p>He found a few with Zelda in them, but she was in the background. It seemed to be a book more related to her parents than to her. They looked happy and present, even engaged in the world around them, unlike the two people he’d known.</p><p>But after going through it once, he put it away and stared at each of the framed scenery photos that hung on the wall.</p><p>“Link!”</p><p>He turned around with a start. “Was that really an interview?”</p><p>“Yeah! I applied to this program that takes high schoolers to help out at Mipha’s Grace Hospital. It’s nothing crazy. It’s like… getting food for people and stuff, but I figured it was a totally different place. Not like an office. And they said they liked me! My resume sucks, but they like me!”</p><p>“I’m not surprised!” Link laughed, grabbing her excitedly. “Did you get it?”</p><p>“They said they have three more people to call, but they’ll call back tomorrow with a decision! I’ve never had an interview before! Oh gods, I think I’m going to be sick! I didn’t know that was going to happen! Do you think I accidently agreed to a random interview? I should read the fine print next time.”</p><p>“Always read the fine print. At least you didn’t have to get nervous expecting the call.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I’m nervous <em>now</em>! Now I have to wait!”</p><p>“Want to watch <em>The Twilight Throne</em>? That’ll help take your mind off it until <em>Moonlight Howl</em> and ice cream, which is now a double celebration, so maybe I’ll buy yours if you buy mine.”</p><p>“Oh gods, yes! Please! I need death and violence and drama and romance.”</p><p>“Oh,” he said, picking her up and throwing her down onto the couch with ease before picking up where they left off before her phone call, his lips making a beeline for her neck.</p><p>“Link!” she giggled, caught entirely off guard. “What are you doing?”</p><p>“You said you wanted romance.”</p><p>He winked and she rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Not what I meant, but I’m not complaining.”</p><p>Scoffing, he crawled over her to grab the remote, getting comfortable and leaving her with her mouth open as he made his way back to his side of the couch, turning on the tv.</p><p>“Hey!” Zelda protested. “You’re a tease.”</p><p>He hit play on the episode they’d left off at. “Only with you, Zelda.”</p>
<hr/><p>A rerun of the newest episode of <em>Moonlight Howl </em>was playing in the background when Link’s eyes blinked open, still on the couch with Zelda. They’d fallen asleep almost as soon as the new episode had aired.</p><p>The coffee table was covered in napkins and empty bowls of once-full ice cream.</p><p>Something tickled Link’s nose, and he let out a breath to push it away from his nostrils, but he was met with more of Zelda’s hair. When he realized what it was, he stopped caring so much and pressed closer to her.</p><p>His arm tightened around her stomach, his elbow stretching the fabric of her shirt while he moved, resting his hand easily against her skin. He used his other arm—which was under her head and took some maneuvering—to pull up the blanket that they’d draped over themselves.</p><p>But as he settled back, he realized that the hairs on the back of his neck were sticking up, and that he’d awoken for a <em>reason</em>.</p><p>Eyes shooting open, it took him a minute to adjust to the dark, but when he did he could see a figure in the doorway. Thankfully, his brain clicked together fast enough not to reach for anything as a weapon, but he sat up quickly, shaking Zelda frantically.</p><p>“Shit, Zelda, get up.”</p><p>She groaned and opened her eyes, gasping when she could finally see what Link saw.</p><p>“Dad.”</p><p>Ramus stood in the well-lit hallway, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared into the room. “When we said you shouldn’t stay here alone, this isn’t what we meant.”</p><p>She looked down at herself, relieved and thanking every god and goddess in existence that she and Link hadn’t ended up doing anything that night. She was decent, if a little disheveled from sleeping on the couch.</p><p>“What are you doing home?”</p><p>“I live here. So does your mother, who’s also here.”</p><p>Zelda pushed herself up a bit, as far from Link as they could. She could feel Link trying to stand, but she grabbed his arm and kept him where he was trapped by the back of the couch and her.</p><p>Still, he gently shook her hand off him. “I’m sorry, Sir. I’ll head home.”</p><p>“Link…” Zelda tried to protest.</p><p>“You know they don’t want me here, Zel,” Link whispered quietly.</p><p>But Ramus held up his hand, stopping Link from crawling over Zelda. “It’s three in the morning. Stay. It’s dangerous to drive at night. Just… just leave this door wide open.”</p><p>Zelda glanced back at Link, her mouth open in surprise, before turning back to her father. “Dad?”</p><p>“I’ll see you both in the morning. Don’t sneak out, Zelda. Please. Your mother and I miss seeing you.”</p><p>“Do you?”</p><p>His face tensed at her challenge. “Of course. Please. Stay for breakfast, if nothing else. Both of you. We just want to talk.”</p><p>Zelda turned back to Link once again. “Whatever you want to do, I’ll do.”</p><p>“Okay. One breakfast. That’s all I’m promising. And if you do what you did last time to Link, we’re leaving.”</p><p>Ramus tapped the door. “Just keep this open. We’ll see you in the morning.”</p><p>The door to his room opened and closed before Zelda felt herself breathe again.</p><p>“Are we dreaming?”</p><p>“Did your dad just let me stay here… with you?”</p><p>“We died, didn’t we?”</p><p>“We’re having breakfast with your parents.”</p><p>Zelda leaned back down, getting comfortable, despite knowing that she wasn’t going to sleep for the rest of the night.</p><p>“Gods, this might be the last night I ever spend in this house. If they… what if I can’t look at them?”</p><p>“Don’t fight for me, okay? If they want me out, I’ll leave. If you want to stay here, you stay. I mean it, I’ll do whatever. Just don’t let it be a fight.”</p><p>“If I need to fight them, I will. I can stay with you, right?”</p><p>Link chuckled, settling back himself as well. “I think we were talking about moving in together just this morning, so yes, you can stay with me, Zel.”</p><p>“Should we sleep on different sides of the couch?”</p><p>“He already saw us. I don’t think it’ll do much good anymore. But it’s your call.”</p><p>“Oh gods,” Zelda whispered.</p><p>She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten that her parents were coming home. She couldn’t believe she’d been this stupid.</p><p>She couldn’t believe they wanted to stay home long enough to eat breakfast with her on a Monday.</p><p>Maybe they weren’t her parents.</p><p>Maybe they were aliens.</p><p>“Zelda,” Link grumbled, pulling her closer to him. “Go to sleep.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Happy Halloween!! </p><p>I finally finished my daily-chapter fic on Tumblr, so now I have more time to come back to this one, but I also have three more weeks of work until we get to move online and do basically nothing because our two online weeks are kind of a joke, so still no promises on rapid chapters yet. </p><p>I do think I'm going to move a little faster in terms of the story timeline though, because I have another fic that I REALLLLY want to post, but I have too many fics happening right now, so I want to finish at least one more  before I start posting that new one (it's Zelink so it's in my heart). So this one is going to start moving into wrap up mode. Not like there's only a few more chapters, just that we're going to start to get to the end of their school year a little quicker. </p><p>ANYWAY! It's good to be back!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0041"><h2>41. Chapter 41</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Link sat on the couch, waiting for Zelda to come out of her room. He’d debated changing into his clothes that he’d brought with him when he knew he was staying at Zelda’s, but he also wasn’t sure if that would make it look like he’d <em>planned</em> on staying over, which he figured would look bad for Zelda’s parents. He opted to throw a sweatshirt on. Jeans were jeans. They’d never notice either way. Had her father even gotten a look at the shirt he’d been wearing?</p><p>Zelda closed her door and headed out into the hall, beckoning Link to follow her down the stairs. They both stopped just short of the kitchen, listening intently to the heated discussion behind the door.</p><p>“You just <em>let </em>him stay? That’s our daughter, Ramus!”</p><p>“You think I don’t know that? Do you think I <em>want </em>him here? But she won’t even look at us. I had to do something. She was going to leave. I’d rather have them here where we can keep an eye on them, than let them go to his house, unsupervised without parents!”</p><p>“What if she’s pregnant, Ramus? You’ll never forgive yourself for letting that boy stay over!”</p><p>Zelda rolled her eyes, her hand on the door ready to interrupt, but she couldn’t help but <em>want</em> to hear the rest of their conversation, and her hand fell to her side.</p><p>“Do you think I want to be a grandfather, <em>Arina</em>? I want Zelda to get her ass back in this house! She has school she needs to focus on, and that boy is a distraction, but I want her to come back, and that means accepting him in some form or another.”</p><p>“I’m going to check her room later. What if they’re doing drugs? He’s a <em>criminal</em>.”</p><p>“Zelda’s better than that.”</p><p>Zelda turned to Link and signed, “<em>I’m sorry,</em>” at him.</p><p>He nodded, knowing she was. It didn’t lessen the sting of hearing the private conversation <em>about him</em> turn so harsh.</p><p>“<em>Want to just leave?”</em> she asked.</p><p>“<em>No. I want them to stop so we can go in and get this over with though.”</em></p><p>“<em>We don’t have to. You don’t need this.”</em></p><p>Link mouthed the word ‘no’ before leaning against the wall. “<em>I did this to myself years ago. And they’re your parents. I’d like to try again, not that they seem to want to. Besides, I don’t want them thinking I’ve kidnapped you.”</em></p><p>“—but she’s a child!” her mother’s voice rang out.</p><p>“This is why we needed this time apart. When she leaves later, because you <em>know </em>she’s going to leave again, go ahead and call your boyfriend over. I’m going to the office.”</p><p>“With your trollop?”</p><p>Then, Zelda’s phone rang.</p><p>But Zelda was too stunned to move, to even hear it ring. A song loudly rang out, alerting everyone to her location near the door, but she couldn’t make herself care.</p><p>“Zelda, I know…” Link tried, his eyes on her pocket. “That could be the hospital though.”</p><p>Zelda could only focus on her breathing. In and out. Deep breaths. That’s how you survive, isn’t it? Deep breaths.</p><p>Link dug into her pocket, pulling her close to him with one arm as his other swiped the answer button on her phone. “Hello?”</p><p>Zelda leaned her head into Link.</p><p>Deep breaths.</p><p>“Yes, this is Zelda’s phone. She’s in the other room. Let me just go grab her. One minute, please?” He quickly muted the phone and set it down. “Zelda… you okay?”</p><p>“Yeah,” she muttered through a deep breath. “Shocked.”</p><p>“We’ll get you out of here, okay? We’ll go to the park, or I’ll give you a ride to Makeela’s. Anything, okay?”</p><p>“Yeah. Is it the hospital calling?”</p><p>“It is. Want me to tell them to call back, or you good?”</p><p>“No, I’m good. I’ll take it.”</p><p>He handed her the phone and glanced at the door to the kitchen where it was creaked open ever so slightly.</p><p>“Hello?” Zelda said into the phone before rolling her eyes and unmuting it before trying again. “Hello? Yes, this is Zelda… I… yes… t-thank you. Yes, that sounds lovely… Yes, that’s perfect…  I look forward to it… Of course, that won’t be a problem… Yes, thank you. You too. Bye.”</p><p>Zelda put the phone into her pocket and stared open mouthed at Link. “I got it. It was me and three others who got it. I have a job. I start next week! I need to buy scrubs, they said. And they’ll email me the orientation information. I <em>got </em>it!”</p><p>Link smiled. “You’re too perfect for them to say no.”</p><p>Trying not to make squealing noises, Zelda grabbed Link and pressed a firm kiss to his lips, wrapping her arms tightly around him as she bounced excitedly, her parents forgotten for a moment.</p><p>But that moment was short-lived when they came into the room.</p><p>Link stepped away from Zelda, looking at the ground, unsure where else to cast his gaze. He didn’t want to look at their accusatory expressions, nor did he want to look at Zelda, lest they see him as some horrible person for it.</p><p>Zelda’s joy faded with their appearance as well, and she set the phone down, crossing her arms.</p><p>Arina’s smile was her professional smile, one that she used on clients. “Hello Darling. Hello… Link.”</p><p>“Ma’am,” Link greeted with a polite nod. He turned to Ramus. “Sir. Thank you for allowing me stay over.”</p><p>“Of course,” Ramus said tightly. “Can’t have you driving at night.”</p><p>Zelda narrowed her eyes at her father’s lie and took a step closer to Link.</p><p>“Are you hungry?” Arina asked. “We made some pancakes.”</p><p>Zelda shrugged. “I’m not sure that I want to stay. I kind of just want to leave.”</p><p>“Please, Zelda, stay. Tell us, who called? We can catch up over food.”</p><p>Glancing at Link, Zelda shrugged. He gave her a small nod, one that wasn’t quite agreeing, but saying that he was willing to do whatever she wanted to do.</p><p>So, Zelda grit her teeth together and hummed some assenting noise. “Yeah, apparently we all have a lot to talk about.”</p><p>“Great, come on in.”</p><p>Grabbing Link’s sleeve, Zelda held him back. “I’m sorry, but I need to know what’s going on. Sign if you want to leave and we’ll go.”</p><p>He gave her a look that said he <em>already</em> wanted to go. “Okay. I can do that.”</p><p>It took every ounce of effort that Zelda had to step into the kitchen. Even the enticing smell of syrup wasn’t quite enough to calm her nerves as she sat at the counter beside Link, feeling the heavy stare of her parents’ eyes on them.</p><p>“How was Holodrum?” Zelda asked, trying to break the awkward stretch of silence that passed between them all.</p><p>“It was nice,” Ramus said, grabbing two pancakes and placing them onto plates, handing one to Link and the other to Zelda. “I think you’d like it there. The University that’s downtown is gorgeous. You’d fit in there, if you decided to go there.”</p><p>“Mmm,” Zelda muttered, glancing at her mother without a word.</p><p>Arina smiled broader, still fake. “And the presentation was great. Thank you for all your initial research.”</p><p>“Link,” Ramus said.</p><p>Link’s head shot up from where he stared at the melting butter, his eyes wide, like a deer on a highway at night. “Yes, sir?”</p><p>“I’d like to make smalltalk with you, but to be quite honest, I just want to get it all out of the way. You have a criminal record.”</p><p>Link slowly placed the fork back down. “I do. A juvenile record that will be wiped in a few years with continued good behavior. I can assure you, I had a rough patch in my life that I’m not proud of, but it did happen, and I have learned from it.”</p><p>“May I ask… was… was it drugs? Did you steal drugs?”</p><p>Link shifted uncomfortably in his seat and glanced at Zelda, nearly ready to use their signal to get out of there before turning back to his pancake. “No… it was… it was money and objects. And assault. I was <em>incarcerated</em> twice. A former friend and I got physical and both ended up with injuries.”</p><p>Zelda watched carefully as Link fiddled with his food and kept his eyes off the incredulous faces of her parents. “You… assault? I didn’t see that one. I saw theft when I had your file pulled.”</p><p>Link let out a breath and finally looked up at Ramus and Arina. “I was fourteen. I’m eighteen now. I’m not that same kid anymore. I was… I was alone, and I had no one who gave a damn. I got attention from my father and my sister the only way I knew how, and I acted out.  Now, I know better.</p><p>“And Zelda… I lov—” he caught himself and cleared his throat. “I would never, <em>ever</em> hurt her. I know assault sounds bad, and it was, but I wouldn’t hurt her. I’d never even hold her hand if she didn’t want me to. And you have no reason to believe me, and no reason to trust me, but trust <em>Zelda</em>. She wouldn’t be with me if I did anything to her.”</p><p>“We trust Zelda. But…” Ramus glanced at Arina before addressing Zelda herself. “Your choices are questionable recently. You dropped your friends, you came here with a whole new group, you got a boyfriend. Your mother and I don’t want you at his house. There is no supervision. No parents. You’re both still children. You’re seventeen.”</p><p>Zelda’s mouth dropped as she sucked in a breath. “Eighteen, dad. I’m eighteen, remember?”</p><p>He faltered for a moment but doubled down. “Then you should act like it.”</p><p>“Ramus!” Arina hissed, stepping towards Zelda. “<em>You </em>are acting like a child! Name calling… by the goddess, I thought you were better than attacking our daughter. Link is right. We should trust Zelda. Link, eat your pancake. You’re welcome here anytime, as long as Zelda sees fit to have you in her life. No more sleepovers, but you’re welcome here.”</p><p>Ramus’ hand hit the table as his eyes narrowed. “No. This is a discussion; you don’t get to just create some magic law that says you’re the good guy for letting him stay. We talked about this earlier. He cannot be here.”</p><p>“I trust our daughter.”</p><p>“That’s well and good, Arina, but I don’t trust her boyfriend.”</p><p>Deep breaths.</p><p>Zelda stood up, fighting back tears as she leaned on the counter. “I don’t trust <em>either</em> of you! Did you know that? Are you divorced? Did you get divorced without telling me? You both have other relationships? I don’t understand! Is that why neither of you come home? Because you’re with other people? Do you even care that I’m here?”</p><p>“Of course we do!” Ramus boomed, riding the high of his anger.</p><p>“You don’t!” Zelda spat back. “I went to a dance, I wanted my mother to help me do my hair or tell me I looked nice! I had a show, and I wanted you both in the front row cheering! I got sick while I was talking to you, mom, and I wanted you to give a damn!  I wanted my dad to support me when the principal was accusing me of dressing like a skank! I have a boyfriend who loves me and makes me happy, unlike both of you! I got a job, and I wanted to tell you and have you be excited, but I can’t!”</p><p>There was a long lull of silence that hung between them all, but Arina was the first to break it. “A job?”</p><p>“Yes! I just got off the phone with them. I got a job at the hospital.”</p><p>“A job… on top of school? You already have theater, you have volleyball coming up, and now you want to add a job to that?”</p><p>Ramus closed his eyes, frustrated. “Do we not give you a large enough allowance? Is your bank account not fully stocked for you? You don’t need the stress of a job on top of everything. You need to focus on your schoolwork and work on getting into good colleges. Business schools are competitive, and you’ll need your extra curriculars to get in. Are you even still on the school senate? <em>That </em>should be your focus outside of school.”</p><p>Zelda wiped a tear that fell, and took another deep breath.</p><p>“We only meet a few times. Our next meeting is after break.”</p><p>“Then focus on that and not a silly job in a hospital. It doesn’t even make sense, not when you are planning to work at a major company.”</p><p>Zelda’s deep breaths turned into rapid ones, and she was biting her lip in desperation, trying to get her tears to stop, but this time, there was no stopping them. It was all too much.</p><p>She covered her mouth to keep her sobs silent as she headed into the back yard, away from her parents and into the much needed cool air.</p><p>Someone was hot on her heels, and she knew it wouldn’t be either parent of hers.</p><p>“Hey, hey,” Link whispered, kneeling beside her. She held her breath, and he could see the rapid pulsing of her chest as she tried to calm herself, albeit unsuccessfully.</p><p>“I want to go home,” Zelda gasped out.</p><p>“Zel, you’re home…”</p><p>“No!” She needed a moment, which hung heavily between them. “No, I want to go <em>home</em>. That’s not home.”</p><p>He let himself thud down beside her, wrapping an arm around her. “Okay.”</p><p>She leaned into him. “I just want my parents. I want parents who’d come out here right now and hug me instead of watching us from the window. I want them to apologize and tell me it’s okay and that they’re proud. Why don’t they love me? Am I just unlovable?”</p><p>“Zelda,” Link breathed, pulling her even closer. “I think they try, but they don’t know how to do it right. If they didn’t love you, you’d <em>know.</em> If they didn’t love you, they wouldn’t keep trying to kick me out. My mom didn’t love us. She left, and kicked me out when I went to find her. Your parents are trying to keep you. And you have every right to be upset—hell, you <em>should be</em>—but you’re <em>not </em>unlovable. You’re not unloved at all. I know it’s not what you’re looking for, but I love you. Makeela loves you. Pipit, Ilia, Gabe and Aryll all love you. Mrs. Joy… maybe not…”</p><p>Zelda chuckled, and it loosened the tightness she felt in her chest just enough for her to breathe again.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s not what I’m looking for, but it makes me feel better.” She sighed and used her sleeve to wipe tears from her face and off Link’s neck where she’d been pressed against. “Will you go on a date with me? Celebrate my new job? Or… maybe we can trick Makeela and Pipit into going on a double date with us. That would be fun. We can grab food together and then just leave them at the table. Or the movies! Do they have theater movies with subtitles?”</p><p>“They do, but if we’re tricking them onto a date, we’d want them to be able to focus on each other, right?”</p><p>“Right. Dinner then? Does that sound fun?”</p><p>Link nodded with a smile on his face that had her worries beginning to melt away. “Want to take the whiteboard away and see if they can communicate in other ways?”</p><p>Zelda snorted. “You’re terrible.”</p><p>Link’s grin widened as he moved his lips to hers, slow and tender and speaking as loud as his words had. He didn’t need to say anything at all for her to <em>know</em>.</p><p>“They’re still in the window,” Link said, pulling away when he caught a glimpse of them over her shoulder.</p><p>“Fuck them,” Zelda breathed, dragging Link back to her.</p><p>Link’s eyebrows shot up at her infrequent swear, but he held her closer, tighter, as she practically tried to push him into the grass like they’d done with their first kiss.</p><p>He chuckled and shook his head. “You can push me down later, okay?”</p><p>Zelda pulled away and playfully rolled her red eyes. “Oh <em>fine</em>. Let’s grab our stuff and get the hell out of here, okay, Link?”</p><p>“Okay.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alrighty, so I'm going to start doing some time jumps (just so I'm not telling a story of their literal every day like this has been going)  so I can get to the end a bit faster as well. But look at that! Two chapters in a few days! Almost feels like the good old days!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0042"><h2>42. Chapter 42</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Makeela leaned against Zelda’s locker with all her books in her hands, waiting for Zelda before they would go back to grab her things.</p>
<p>Zelda was scrambling, trying to throw all of it into her backpack at once, nervous hands shaking as she held the handle of her backpack.</p>
<p>“It’s going to be fine,” Makeela said with ease and confidence. “Stop worrying.”</p>
<p>“Varsity! I <em>am</em> worried. You’re a goddess at every sport! I have to be nervous. You don’t, Miss Guaranteed-to-be-Captain.”</p>
<p>Makeela shrugged in agreement, which earned her a look from Zelda.</p>
<p>“Oh please. Your theater tryouts are way more difficult.”</p>
<p>Zelda shuddered. No matter if it was auditions or tryouts, she hated the anticipation that came before anything. She was easily crippled in the hours before the events. But somehow, she always managed to pull it together just before.</p>
<p>Zelda finally gave up and threw her backpack down, which jostled her stuck book into place. She sighed and zipped it up before slinging it over her shoulder and following Makeela to her locker.</p>
<p>“They’re both difficult. And I have auditions coming up soon for the play, too! Should I even do it? Should I just stick to volleyball? What if Coach doesn’t even let me play this year? What if I suck? I haven’t practiced since we played beach volleyball this summer. I’m going to fall. It’s going to be my shoe.”</p>
<p>“Oh just stop whining,” Makeela laughed. “You’re going to be <em>fine.</em>” She pulled her gym bag out from where she’d stuffed it into the thin locker, though it took some finagling to pull it free. “Are you sure you don’t want to do that warm-up run with me?”</p>
<p>Zelda scoffed. “I told you I’d go to the gym with you in an hour, but I’m not going to kill myself working out before I’ve even had the chance to get to tryouts. I’m not a superwoman like you.”</p>
<p>“How many more compliments are you going to give me? Because I’m willing to take them all.”</p>
<p>Zelda let out a deep breath, unsurprised with Ilia showed up behind them. Though she didn’t play volleyball, she had been at the lunch table when Makeela had been looking for a gym buddy, and Ilia had been bored. Then, Makeela had invited Darunia, and even Revali and Sidon—though that was a courtesy to Darunia more than anything. Except for Makeela and Zelda, no one else had any reason to warm up, so Zelda till didn’t feel inclined to rush to support anyone else. She was going to take a break.</p>
<p>“Ready?” Ilia asked, looking at Makeela.</p>
<p>“Yes I am.” Her smug look was overt and directed right at Zelda.</p>
<p>But she just stuck her tongue out and fixed her backpack. “An hour, I promise. But no sooner.”</p>
<p>“Fine, be that way!”</p>
<p>“Bye!” Zelda chimed, waving Makeela and Ilia off. She could see Link leaning against his locker, waiting for her to return. “Why are you still here?” she asked, leaning beside him on the cool metal.</p>
<p>“Just wanted to make sure you had everything before I go to work. I’m off probation, so I’m back on cars today, so I probably won’t have my phone on me.”</p>
<p>“I have everything. Thank you.”</p>
<p>Link nodded, but he narrowed his eyes. “Got those weird shoes you couldn’t find yesterday?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Link.”</p>
<p>“Salty food and water?”</p>
<p>“I’m going to Hyrule Energized right now.” She started walking, trying to keep her smile from appearing on her face.</p>
<p>“Okay. Extra pills?”</p>
<p>Zelda didn’t respond as she pushed the doors open and leaned against the wall under the stairwell. “Yes. I have everything. You can go to work.”</p>
<p>“Did you put gas in your car? If not, come to Gabe’s and he’ll do it.”</p>
<p>“Link, where do you think I’m going? It’s tryouts for volleyball. They’re literally in this building.”</p>
<p>“I know. I just wanted to make sure. Aryll’s cooking tonight, too, so if you’re hungry when you get home, just tell her I’ll be late. There’s no way I’m getting out before you today. I mean, if I <em>do </em>then I’ll grab—”</p>
<p>Zelda pulled Link to her, silencing him with a kiss. “Stop,” she laughed. “It’s all good.”</p>
<p>“Do I say break a leg? Or is that the wrong sport?”</p>
<p>Zelda chuckled, bringing him back to her. “The fact that you just called theater a sport makes you my hero.”</p>
<p>Her lips were unrelenting against his, which Link wasn’t inclined to complain about by any means. For several seconds, he matched her enthusiasm. He could feel her nails running along his scalp, through his hair moving to his ear. Link was quick to lose himself in her attentions before pulling away. “We’re still in school.”</p>
<p>Zelda shrugged and grabbed Link’s belt, letting her fingers duck under his shirt.</p>
<p>Link practically choked, his hands gripping the fabric of her shirt so tightly that it wrinkled. “Zel, is this because I said theater was a sport?”</p>
<p>“That, and you were cute making sure I had everything. It was nice.”</p>
<p>Link had to grab her wrist to stop her, his eyes dark with desire as he ran his hand along hers. “<em>You’re</em> not being nice. We both have to go, and you know it.”</p>
<p>A mischievous grin spread across Zelda’s face. “But I love you,” she said in her most innocent voice.</p>
<p>“Mhmm,” Link laughed.</p>
<p>Zelda threw her head back and made an annoyed sound. “I’d say we can save this for later, but I’ll probably be too tired.”</p>
<p>Link raised an eyebrow, a look entirely his own passing over his features, a cross between mischievous and flirty. “I don’t mind doing all the work.”</p>
<p>“I hope you don’t mean schoolwork,” a new voice rang out, and Link nervously banged his head into the wall as he moved far from Zelda as the small alcove allowed.</p>
<p>Zelda flushed an absolute bright red as she stared at Mrs. Joy, tongue-tied and unable speak.</p>
<p>“No,” Link said, clearing his throat. He’d always been the better of the two dealing with Mrs. Joy. “She’s coming over for dinner. We’re talking about cooking.”</p>
<p>Mrs. Joy’s eyes passed suspiciously over them, landing on their uniforms. “Your shirts are untucked. Until you leave this building, you represent this school, and the dress code stands. Miss Harkinian, tuck it in. Mr. Hunter, you too.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Mrs. Joy,” Zelda said solemnly, fixing her shirt.</p>
<p>She glared at them both before turning and going up the stairs.</p>
<p>When Zelda could no longer hear the clanking of heels on the stairs, she turned to Link and hit his arm. “Go to work! You almost got us both into trouble!”</p>
<p>“Me? You’re trying to seduce me!”</p>
<p>Zelda laughed and pushed Link out the door. “Have fun fixing cars!”</p>
<p>He waved behind him. “See you at the house!”</p>
<p>Zelda watched him get on his motorcycle and drive off before she headed to her own car. It didn’t take her long to find herself in front of the building she longed for.</p>
<p>“Hi welcome to Hyrule Energized, would you like to try our Cucco Crow Wake-Up Wraps?”</p>
<p>Zelda hesitated. “Is that made with real cucco meat?”</p>
<p>“Oh yes, straight from the farm.”</p>
<p>“Hrmm,” Zelda murmured, pondering if that was true or sarcastic. “No thank you. I’m going to get a medium iced coffee with soymilk and two sugars, please. And a water. Oh, and a bag of rock salt chips. And that’s all.”</p>
<p>She made a face at the price that displayed on the screen.</p>
<p>“Drive up.”</p>
<p> Almost immediately, Zelda regretted her decision to get a coffee with milk in it. Perhaps she’d just leave it in the car until after and stick with the water.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Zelda made the team, her usual position. Makeela was team captain, nothing unexpected there. There would be three weeks of practice before their first game. And with only a few months left of high school, Zelda was excited for things to move forward more quickly.</p>
<p>Like how she had her first official first day of work just two days after tryouts.</p>
<p>Maybe this <em>was</em> going to be stressful.</p>
<p>She’d bought the scrubs, she’d done the orientation, and she’d been assigned a leader who would give her and the others their instructions and tasks each day. To her immense surprise, it was Impa, the school nurse.</p>
<p>“Zelda! Hello! How are you doing today? I saw your name on the schedule, and I’d hoped it was you.”</p>
<p>“It’s good to see you, Impa,” Zelda said cheerily. “I’m very excited to be here!”</p>
<p>“You won’t be soon. But if you can get through the beginning of this program, you’ll end up loving it.”</p>
<p>Zelda had never experienced a solid day of hard work before in her life.</p>
<p>She spent her first day lugging trash and food trays around the hospital. Her hands looked like prunes from the water and hand sanitizer she had to keep using. She smelled like a mix of sick and sterile by the end of her first day.</p>
<p>By her second, she’d been entrusted with the task of running to the cafeteria for food, and not just returning empty trays. By the end of the first week, she’d befriended a boy who washes dishes, maybe her age, though he certainly didn’t go to Daphnes Rhoam Hyrule High.</p>
<p>During her break, she’d begun meeting him in the cafeteria for jello cups. He ate blue, and he saved her one of the greens.</p>
<p>“So, Komali, why the kitchen?” she’d asked one day, waving her spoon around as she spoke.</p>
<p>He took a bite of his meal before waving the spoon around as well. “I want to be a chef one day, and you start somewhere.”</p>
<p>“Are you going to school for culinary arts?”</p>
<p>He shrugged, his hair so blonde that it appeared silver in the light. “I think I’m taking a gap year to study under my uncle, who’s a top-notch chef. Not a bad plan.”</p>
<p>Zelda glanced at her new watch. She’d realized that if there was one thing she needed to splurge on, it was a durable watch. “I have to get back up, but I’m going to see Mrs. Grizwald today, so put one of those ice cream cups away for me, okay?”</p>
<p>“Sure thing. Have fun cleaning up vomit.”</p>
<p>Zelda scoffed, leaving her empty tray with him. “That’s next week.”</p>
<p>And the next week, it was true. Impa had warned her that cleaning up after patients was the more disgusting part of the job, but if she could make it, she’d be all set in the future.</p>
<p>“Hi Mr. Owlan. How’s the knee today?” Zelda asked as she started collecting the bits and pieces from the patients’ room. His knee was bothering him, and Zelda knew that, despite the fact that he was in the hospital for post-heart surgery complications.</p>
<p>“Oh, Hilda!” he said, never able to get her name right. But she’d stopped correcting him and instead answered to Hilda. “I saw this show on television. Do you know what it is? It was about this young man… and he turned into a feral dog! And then… well, it was unseemly.”</p>
<p>“<em>Moonlight Howl? </em>Were the main characters Castor and Amalia?”</p>
<p>“I thought it was Fredrick, but that sounds right. It was disgusting! The things they let air on tv these days! Do you watch that show?”</p>
<p>Zelda bit her lip and checked the juice carton before tossing it into her trash bag. “I will admit that I’ve seen it.”</p>
<p>Mr. Owlan narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you old enough to watch that show?”</p>
<p>“Plenty old enough. Don’t worry.”</p>
<p>“Good! Tell me what channel I can find it on! And give me a stronger pill while you’re at it!”</p>
<p>“I can’t touch your meds, Mr. Owlan. You know that as well as I do.”</p>
<p>“Well, one day, you’ll learn that you listen to your elders, regardless of what they tell you!”</p>
<p>“Are you telling me to give in to peer pressure?”</p>
<p>He scoffed. “Do I look like a peer to you?”</p>
<p>And as she recounted the story to Komali, he laughed. “Gods, that show! It’s so good!”</p>
<p>“I know,” she sighed. “Did I tell you Link has a huge poster of Amalia on his door?”</p>
<p>“And you stare at her every day?” Komali snorted. “Well you’re an angel. If he were my boyfriend, I’d make him take it down.” He paused and leaned heavily against the table. “Is he doing better?”</p>
<p>Zelda bit her lip and nodded. “Yeah. Thank you for letting Impa know I had to leave, by the way. She was understanding when I explained.”</p>
<p>“Will you explain it to me? I thought someone had died.”</p>
<p>Zelda thought back to several days ago when she’d received a call from Gabe while she was at work. It had been Mikau’s anniversary, and Link hadn’t taken it well. He’d torn off his guitar strings, smashed a radio, and tore through another pack of cigarettes like it was candy.</p>
<p>But since then, he’d calmed down significantly, and he was back on the patch, and the gum was almost always in his mouth. He’d spent two nights clinging to Zelda in bed, and she’d felt his erratic breathing as he fought back tears.</p>
<p>Gabe had said it would pass, and he was right. But Zelda still didn’t know what to do about the pain that Link was carrying still, the pain that would appear just as forcefully the next year, and the year after that.</p>
<p>Link’s time was spent fixing the things he’d broken and hanging out at Pipit’s house while Zelda worked or had practice.</p>
<p>Komali didn’t bring the anniversary back up. Instead, he looked forward. “Your first game is this weekend, right?”</p>
<p>“Yep! Can’t wait.”</p>
<p>“Do you think your boyfriend would mind if I came, too? Cheered you on?”</p>
<p>Zelda grinned. “No, of course you can come! He won’t mind.”</p>
<p>“You’ve told him about me?”</p>
<p>Zelda scoffed, like the answer was so obvious. “Yes. He likes your hair, too. I showed him that picture we took in front of the Mipha statue. Why wouldn’t I tell him about you? You’re my best work buddy.”</p>
<p>Komali shrugged nonchalantly and tapped his phone screen. “Send me the details and I’ll be there.”</p>
<p>Zelda picked up her phone and started typing right away. “You’ll finally get to see everyone. Makeela is very excited to meet you.”</p>
<p>“She with your other friend yet?”</p>
<p>“No! And I don’t understand, because they’re both obsessed with each other. Link and I want to trap them in an escape room next.”</p>
<p>“Nice,” Komali chuckled, checking his phone when it dinged. “Thanks. I’ll be there. But for now, my shift is over. Enjoy your afternoon with…”</p>
<p>“Miss Tetra. She’s my favorite after Mr. Owlan, but don’t tell.”</p>
<p>Zelda slid her badge into her pocket, along with her phone, and hurried up the stairs, oblivious to Komali’s gaze following her until she was out of sight.</p>
<p>“Impa?” Zelda said, startling herself to a stop.</p>
<p>“You’re doing well, Zelda. But there’s something I haven’t prepared you for yet. Come with me.”</p>
<p>As if it wasn’t ominous enough, Impa led Zelda through a hallway, stopping just outside Mr. Owlan’s door.</p>
<p>“When they’re done, we’re going to make the bed together, okay?”</p>
<p>“Done?”</p>
<p>“Mr. Owlan died about an hour ago.”</p>
<p>“What?” Zelda gasped, peeking into the room.</p>
<p>She immediately regretted it.</p>
<p>He was pale, his skin ashy and his eyes closed, like sleep. But he was lying on a gurney, ready to be covered by the zipper of the bag.</p>
<p>Zelda’s hand went to her mouth, and she let out a sob as she turned to Impa. “I was just… we were just talking!”</p>
<p>Impa put a hand on Zelda’s shoulder, holding onto her in the hallway. “He was sick. And if you were just talking to him, then I’m sure you made him enjoy his last few hours. He wasn’t alone. Did he laugh?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. We were talking about dirty tv shows after a while.”</p>
<p>Impa paused for a moment, but squeezed Zelda’s shoulder. “Then he went out laughing. Remember that. You helped make his days here enjoyable, and it’s not your fault he died. But you work in a hospital with sick patients, and this will happen. So just brace yourself here with me. Okay?”</p>
<p>Zelda wiped a tear as the stretcher wheeled by them, headed for the elevator.</p>
<p>“Alright, come on. Let’s do the bed. And tell me which of those television shows was his favorite, too.”</p>
<p>And as she told Impa stories about Mr. Owlan, and Impa shared stories of several of her favorite patients who’d passed, Zelda realized something: she’d been cleaning up messes, sure, but she’d become invested in the lives of every patient who’s room she visited. She knew that Mrs. and Mr. Lineback were expecting their first child in two months, though he was in the hospital with persistent chest pains following a heart attack. Her job was to clean his tray and leave, but she enjoyed learning more about them. She wanted to be able to help. She wanted the helpless feeling of knowing that Mr. Owlan had asked her for stronger pain meds that might have helped his passing, but she couldn’t.</p>
<p>She’d seen doctors and nurses galore when she was a child. Too many visits were spent with her and the nurses talking, keeping her entertained.</p>
<p>“Impa?” Zelda asked.</p>
<p>The older woman looked up, waiting.</p>
<p>“How many years did you have to go to school to become a nurse practitioner?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay! WHEW I got this one out! This chapter was fun while writing, but I had 0 motivation for it! We've got timeskips! We've got school! We've got Zelda finally having something that interests HER! We've got DRAMA upcoming! AND LET ME JUST SAY THAT I AM UNFORTUNATELY NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO WRITING THIS VOLLEYBALL GAME BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT VOLLEYBALL!! So... that'll be interesting. Here I come, Youtube! Lol!</p>
<p>Also, on a shameless plug of a sidenote, I started another Zelink fic this week that I don't plan on having run nearly as long as this one does. It's NOT the fic I was yapping about a few chapters ago. It is, in fact, a different one. It's called Written in the Stars, and I'm very excited for the next chapter of it that I'll be posting tomorrow! So that's me being shameless. I can hear the bell and the "Shame" chant in the distance now, so I'm outta here!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0043"><h2>43. Chapter 43</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Link sat on his bed, watching Zelda stuff several things into a gym bag. Beside him, Pipit was doing the same, only with Makeela, who was beside Zelda. They were muttering to themselves, saying something about the items in each of their bags.</p>
<p>“You have everything,” Link said, moving his hands as well for Pipit’s sake. “I’ve watched you two repack your bags three times.”</p>
<p>“Shut up, Link!” Aryll called from the other room as she was getting ready to leave for her night class. “Let them check again! Neither of them are late.”</p>
<p>“<em>Who’d have thought there’d be so much stuff for one game? You’d think it’s just shoes and water,”</em> Pipit said, watching with interest at the many things they’d packed into their bags.</p>
<p>“I saw that,” Zelda said, eyeing Pipit. Her hands moved for him, but she spoke aloud for Makeela. And while Makeela had practiced, she’d only picked up and remembered a few phrases. Pipit had appreciated the effort on his behalf, but Zelda was quick to tease that some people simply weren’t wired for another language and that Makeela was one of them.</p>
<p>Zelda looked satisfied upon third inspection of her bag, and her check of Makeela’s. They both zipped everything up and slung their bags over their shoulder almost simultaneously. They headed into the other room, though Zelda felt eyes on her and turned around.</p>
<p>Pipit was getting up, but Link was watching her leave, his eyes low. She shot him an exasperated look.</p>
<p>“What?” Link asked, rolling off the bed, wriggling his eyebrows at her. “I like your uniform.”</p>
<p>Zelda grabbed a pair of sweatpants and pulled them on over her shorts with a smug look. “You like all my uniforms.”</p>
<p>He shrugged guiltily before kissing her as he passed.</p>
<p>“Ewww! No! None of that!” Makeela whined, pulling her coat on.</p>
<p>Link wrapped his arms around Zelda to make a point. “There was a time when you were trying to get pictures of us kissing.”</p>
<p>“We’re not elusive creatures anymore,” Zelda laughed, pushing Link off her so she could finish getting ready.</p>
<p>“No,” Makeela huffed, “It’s just that you’re both together and it makes single people slightly annoyed to constantly see PDA.”</p>
<p>Link shorted. “Sorry, I forgot to translate that.”</p>
<p>Makeela ignored him, and Link turned to Pipit. “<em>She wants you to ask her out. She’s feeling single. Just do it already.”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“We went for pizza the other day.”</em>
</p>
<p><em>“Too subtle,” </em>Link laughed. <em>“Zelda and I didn’t even know when our first date was because our dates were too subtle. It took spelling it out for it to actually work.”</em></p>
<p><em>“True,” </em>Zelda chimed in, giggling at Makeela’s suspicious stare.</p>
<p>She’d learned a few words and phrases, but for Makeela, her favorite and easiest way to communicate her feelings was simply giving them all the middle finger, regardless of the topic.  </p>
<p>“Hey girls,” Aryll said, standing in the doorway to her room with her bag already slung over her shoulders. “Sorry I can’t come, but you guys crush the living hell out of the other team, or whatever you say at sport things!”</p>
<p>“Oh, we will!”</p>
<p>“Okay, good,” Aryll said, pushing past everyone to get to the door. “Maybe I’ll see you later. If not, food’s leftovers tonight.”</p>
<p>“Thanks!”</p>
<p>“Link, pay your bills,” Aryll said, closing the door behind her.</p>
<p>Zelda glanced at him and he rolled his eyes. “Phone. I forgot.”</p>
<p>“Oh, okay.”</p>
<p>“Ready?” Makeela asked, standing up and immediately hopping anxiously from foot to foot. “I don’t want to be late.”</p>
<p>They were, by no means, late. Link dropped them both off before going with Pipit to Hyrule Energized. The players had to get there a bit early, so it gave them the extra time to dally.</p>
<p>When they returned, each with their own Lon Lon Special, they headed for the bleachers, spotting the two people they wanted to sit near.</p>
<p>Ilia was having a full-blown conversation with Gabe, excitedly telling him a story that had them both laughing. Though Ilia wasn’t nearly as close to Gabe as Pipit and Link, she’d been to the shop a few times and knew him well enough.</p>
<p>“Hi guys!” she said, waving them over.</p>
<p>Pipit took the space beside her, and then Link sat. He leaned forward to talk to Gabe. “You made it.”</p>
<p>“I did. I wouldn’t miss her first game of the season. Besides, I’m here as a spy. I want to know what all this fuss is with Pip and Makeela.”</p>
<p>Pipit turned red and pointedly looked away, though he was still trapped between Link and Gabe. Link made sure Pipit could see his hands.</p>
<p>
  <em>“He won’t ask her out on a real date but keeps doing these unofficial double dates with me and Zelda. So, I’m trying to get him off his ass to just ask her out already. Was I this bad?”</em>
</p>
<p><em>“Worse,” </em>Pipit signed, knocking Link’s hands out of the way.</p>
<p>Link chuckled and watched Zelda and the rest of the team warm up on the court. She was focused in the same way that he’d seen her at theater rehearsals.</p>
<p>“Did Zelda see you here?”</p>
<p>Gabe shrugged. “I don’t think so. She hasn’t looked over. Maybe if she sits on the bench, she’ll get a look at her cheerleaders.”</p>
<p>“From what I hear,” Ilia chimed in, “Neither of them get benched often. They’re good.”</p>
<p>“You have to bench people sometimes, right? You can’t play a whole game.”</p>
<p>Ilia glanced at Link. “When is the last time you played a sport?”</p>
<p>“I used to play basketball.”</p>
<p>“Street basketball with rules meant for players who showed up at a park. That doesn’t count.”</p>
<p>“Yes, it does! It’s a sport!”</p>
<p>Gabe rolled his eyes and waved them both off, shushing them. “Two different games with two different rules. They’re both still games, so leave each other alone.”</p>
<p>Ilia stuck her tongue out at Link, who returned the adultly gesture.</p>
<p>The four of them sat there casually talking until a buzzer went off. All of them jumped at the sound of the scoreboard.</p>
<p>“So,” Link said, leaning forward as the teams huddled together. “How do we know if they win? Like… what number do they go to?”</p>
<p>Ilia scoffed. “I don’t know. Don’t you look up what your girlfriend does?”</p>
<p>“No. I figured I’d just watch and learn.”</p>
<p>Pipit rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone, typing something quickly before handing it to Link.</p>
<p>Link looked down at a search result on Pipit’s screen. “’To win a game, a team must score 25 points with a two-point difference. If they're too closely matched, the game can continue over the 25-point maximum.’ Okay, so they need 25 or more?”</p>
<p>“Sounds it,” Ilia agreed.</p>
<p>Pipit took his phone back, ready to type again. <em>“What are their positions? Makeela told me but I don’t remember. It was a fake word or something.”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“Look it up. See which position is a fake word.” </em>
</p>
<p>After a moment, Pipit made a face and spelled out: “<em>Libero</em>.”</p>
<p>“What’s that do?”</p>
<p>Link and Pipit sat huddled over the phone, trying to figure out what the rules were. It wasn’t until Zelda and Makeela were on the court, the game officially starting, that they looked up, trying to follow the game.</p>
<p>
  <em>“So, they hit the ball three times?”</em>
</p>
<p>“Why do they always hit it out of the lines? Is that on purpose?”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Oh, okay, it is three times.”</em>
</p>
<p>“Her knees must fucking hurt.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“That’s why they wear the kneepads. There’s no way they hurt.”</em>
</p>
<p>The sounds coming from the court were deafening, and Link was greatful to be able to sign to Pipit. From everyone’s screams, calling out plays and who’s getting the ball and where to go and what to do, the court was <em>loud</em>.</p>
<p>There was an incessant squeak on the court floor where their shoes skidded. It was high pitched and non stop.</p>
<p>And the crowd. The crowd of rowdy high schoolers and their families heckling the other team, cheering for their friends and family. Link was sure he heard “open your eyes, ref” at least twenty times in the first few minutes.</p>
<p>But amid the cacophony of noises, Link could hear one thing loud and clear: Zelda’s name.</p>
<p>For the briefest of seconds, he almost went to recruit Pipit to help find the source, the one person who wouldn’t stop shouting out for Zelda and cheering anytime she did something.</p>
<p>It wouldn’t have been weird if he’d recognized it as Darunia. Even Revali or Sidon wouldn’t have been the biggest surprise. If he knew that it was Ruto, Ravio, or even Groose, he’d have been annoyed, but that nagging bit in the back of his brain would have calmed down. He’d hoped it was one of their teachers, but even Mr. Auru was just politely clapping whenever something happened. It was a voice he’d never heard before, and he couldn’t pinpoint the source.</p>
<p>He watched the game, trying to calmly ignore the voice. He nearly thought it was in his own head, some sort of internal torture device that was hell-bent on driving him insane. But then he saw the source of the voice, a young man, probably his age, who stood up to cheer while calling out a “yeah, Zelda!”</p>
<p>He was mildly familiar, though he was sure that the loudmouth didn’t go to school with them. He had nearly white, blonde hair, and when he turned around for a moment, as if feeling that there was someone’s gaze boring into his back, Link could see that his eyes were such an intense shade of brown that they were nearly a dark red color.</p>
<p>Link elbowed Pipit. <em>“Where have we seen that guy before?” </em></p>
<p>Pipit followed Link’s discrete finger point and shook his head. “<em>Doesn’t look familiar at all to me. Why?”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“He keeps cheering for only Zelda. And I’ve seen him before.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I assume he doesn’t go here.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No.”</em>
</p>
<p>For a while, they left it, but suddenly Link felt his attention divided between watching Zelda and ignoring the loudmouth.</p>
<p>When Zelda was on the bench, she was either too tired to spot them all, or too focused to look in the crowds. Either way, the screaming menace became quiet and suddenly disinterested in the game, instead playing on his phone.</p>
<p>Link considered himself to be… <em>fairly</em> level headed. Sure, he had his moments. He’d managed to ignore Revali throughout the majority of the play. Even his subtle jabs or obnoxious flirting with Zelda could be ignored because Link could see underneath it. He could see the jealousy, and the anger, and the honest hatred of him that was channeled into most of his comments. They were all shots at Link, while having the ‘benefit’ of complimenting Zelda at times. With Revali, it was like a contest between the two. And while Link wasn’t proud of that, per se, he knew it wasn’t just Revali trying to get with Zelda while they were together. It was directed at <em>him. </em></p>
<p>But this jackass… he wasn’t even pretending that the game other than Zelda held any meaning. There was no attempt to even disguise it. It was just blatantly being thrown into Link’s face again and again that someone <em>else</em> was here for Zelda.</p>
<p>“<em>Am I crazy for hating that guy without knowing him?”</em></p>
<p>But Pipit just shrugged. <em>“Ask Ilia. I can’t hear if it’s as bad as you think it is.”</em></p>
<p>Link begrudgingly sat back. He debated trying to yell louder to cheer Zelda on, but honestly, it seemed as if she didn’t even hear the guy as it was. It would have only been for himself to scream for Zelda. And this wasn’t about him.</p>
<p>Well… it was.</p>
<p>If he’d felt jealousy before with Revali, then this wasn’t the same feeling. This was a burn in the back of his throat that he couldn’t swallow, something that sat on his heart and made him want to scream.</p>
<p>“<em>I know who it is,” </em>Link signed, sitting up a little straighter. “<em>It’s that guy she hangs out with at work. She showed me a picture of them.”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“Okay. Go beat him up then. I’ll hold him.”</em>
</p>
<p>Link rolled his eyes and shook his head with a small laugh. “<em>Thanks</em>.”</p>
<p>For the entirety of the game, the hospital guy’s voice went right through him, like the screech of a chalkboard, or the grind of a garbage disposal when a fork went down the drain, and he felt like the mangled prongs.</p>
<p>Still, he managed to tune the guy out to an extent. He was here for Zelda, and he enjoyed watching her play.</p>
<p>It was no surprise to anybody that they won.</p>
<p>The teams were congratulating each other on a well-played game while the crowd was dispersing off the bleachers and onto the court and into the hall.</p>
<p>When the teams were done, they could see Zelda looking around, unsure where anyone was. It almost proved their guess that she hadn’t seen them in the stands, since they were still in virtually the same spot, just on the court instead.</p>
<p>But when she did finally spot them, her eyes lit up and she pointed in their direction before nodding to someone and running to greet them all.</p>
<p>“Gabe!” she breathed, still heaving from the game. “You came?”</p>
<p>“Couldn’t miss it. You’re very talented. A true Renaissance man…. well, woman. You and Makeela. Well played.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Zelda laughed. “I’d hug you, but…” she looked down at herself. She was sweating.</p>
<p>Gabe slung his arm around her shoulder. “I work with these kids all day. I’m not afraid.”</p>
<p>Zelda laughed and hugged him back. “Thank you so much for coming!” She grabbed Ilia’s hand and squeezed it before looking at Pipit. <em>“And thank you, too. Makeela saw her parents. She’ll be over in a minute.</em>”</p>
<p>
  <em>“I came here for you, too.”</em>
</p>
<p><em>“Sure you did,” </em>Zelda laughed before holding her arms out to Link. “Hug: yes or no?”</p>
<p>“Hell yeah,” he chuckled, grabbing her tightly. “I don’t know what you’re better at: this or theater.”</p>
<p>“I’m a Renaissance woman, remember? I can be better at all of them at once. Besides, they’re really pretty different from each other.”</p>
<p>“True, true.”</p>
<p>Then, Link spotted that <em>guy</em> pushing through the crowd towards them, and he felt his grip on Zelda’s waist tighten. He consciously had to loosen his arm.</p>
<p>“Hey! You came too!” Zelda exclaimed, giving him a quick hug when he opened his arms. Link was glad to see that she gave him one of her “I’m hugging a stranger” hugs: arms under theirs, and tightly against herself still, rather than the warm welcoming ones she gave to close friends.</p>
<p>“Guys, this is…” she looked at Link first and gave him a funny look before turning back. “This is Komali. He’s my friend from the hospital. Komali, this is my boyfriend, Link, then Pipit, Ilia, Gabe, and Makeela will be here soon.”</p>
<p>Ilia and Pipit nodded politely before talking to each other. Though Zelda could see that Ilia was simply filling Pipit in on what was happening with Komali.</p>
<p>Link begrudgingly held out his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard stories.”</p>
<p>“Same,” Komali said, a stiff, awkward handshake passing between them.</p>
<p>Thankfully, Gabe took over and also went to shake his hand. It gave Zelda enough time to shoot Link a smug look. And in that one look, he knew that she was well aware of the burning jealousy that was just sitting on him. A whole conversation passed between them with their meticulous stares, one that told Link to stop being jealous, and one that said he couldn’t help it.</p>
<p>Zelda gave him a pitying smile and crossed behind Gabe while he spoke to Komali to wrap her arms around Link, casually leaning against him. He bit back a grin and nodded, letting out a snort. “Thanks, Princess.”</p>
<p>Zelda lightly hit him in the back as she laughed. “You looked so sad!”</p>
<p>Gabe stepped away, claiming to go find Makeela’s parents, who he’d met at the show, to say hi.</p>
<p>Komali’s eyes slowly took in the way Zelda was holding on to Link and he cleared his throat. “So, I’ve heard a lot about you, but it’s nice to put a face to the name.”</p>
<p>Link nodded. “Yeah, Zelda showed me the picture you guys took together, but I couldn’t place you right away.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, same. I see you every time Zelda hands me her phone. She’s got a picture of the both of you as her wallpaper, but I guess I never really looked closely.”</p>
<p>Link felt his neck tighten as he tensed in annoyance. “Yeah, don’t look through her camera roll or you’ll learn what I look like.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Zelda said, moving away from both of them. “I need a new water, and I need a shower. And food. Maybe this weekend we can go hang out. Bowling or something, maybe? There’s that place, the Bombchu Bowling Alley. We could go there. Does that sound fun? Maybe Saturday?”</p>
<p>Link feigned a smile, but nodded. But Komali shook his head. “Saturdays I’m out of town visiting my grandparents. But maybe next time I can reschedule.”</p>
<p>“Okay! No problem! Figured I’d ask.” She turned to Link. “We can make it a date instead.”</p>
<p>“Deal,” Link said, seeing a smug look in her eyes, though he couldn’t figure out why.</p>
<p>But when Makeela came over, Zelda introduced Komali to her, and the three of them fell into a far less awkward, easy conversation. Link eavesdropped, and he could see how they’d become friends. They had a similar sense of humor, and he gathered that Komali made her laugh.</p>
<p>But when Komali left to go home, Zelda spun on Link, amusement on her face more than accusatory. “You’re so jealous right now! It’s seething off of you!”</p>
<p>“He likes you.”</p>
<p>“He doesn’t. We’re friends.”</p>
<p>Link tsked. “I’m well-versed in what it’s like to be head over heels for you. I know what it looks like. Ilia knows what it looks like. That was it. He likes you.”</p>
<p>“It’s true,” Ilia chimed.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Makkela added. “He was totally staring at your ass, too. You might think you’re just friends, but he wants more. He’s a homewrecker, and he’s coming to town.”</p>
<p>Link snickered, shoving his hands into his pocket.</p>
<p>“Really?” Zelda gasped, looking to Makeela and then Link. “Wow. Okay. What do I do?”</p>
<p>“Show him more pictures of you and Link,” Ilia tried.</p>
<p>“Tell him all about your sexcapades with your boyfriend,” Makeela laughed.</p>
<p>“No,” Link and Zelda said at once.</p>
<p>She chuckled and turned to Link. “Any opinions?”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “No. You do whatever you want to do. I trust <em>you</em>. I don’t trust him. If he tries to kiss you, you tell me so I can anonymously punch him in the teeth.”</p>
<p>“Ouch,” Zelda breathed. “If he still has teeth after I hit him for that, sure, I’ll let you at him.”</p>
<p>Link kissed Zelda’s cheek. “I love you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know.”</p>
<p>“Hey, do you guys want to go grab a pizza or something? I’m starving.”</p>
<p>“Aryll will eat the leftovers, right?” Zelda asked. “Or should we bring her something?”</p>
<p>“We can bring her something for tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Ilia chimed in. “I’m good for pizza.”</p>
<p><em>“Same.</em>”</p>
<p>Makeela glanced at the court. “I don’t do junk food during sport seasons, but I’ll go if we go somewhere with healthy options.”</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>And with a goodbye to Gabe, and to Makeela’s parents, they waited for Zelda and Makeela to return to and from the locker rooms before grabbing some food at Subrosian Pizza where they talked about the game, and the latest episode of <em>Moonlight Howl</em> all night.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I wrote the last 1500 words or so in the past two hours, but the whole beginning took me DAYS! I watched so many volleyball games, and I STILL had to rewrite the whole beginning three times. I hated this chapter hahaha! None of it went to plan!! THEY ARE NEVER PLAYING A GAME OF VOLLEYBALL IN THIS FIC AGAIN!! I even needed to ask for help because I was so stressed out by volleyball. NOPE! NEVER AGAIN! BYE VOLLEYBALL! MAY YOU FOREVER BE IMPLIED!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0044"><h2>44. Chapter 44</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Zel, wake up.”</p>
<p>Zelda blinked her groggy eyes open and turned to Link. “You okay?”</p>
<p>“Better than that. Look outside.”</p>
<p>She couldn’t make sense of anything in the room. There was light coming through the window with the curtains pulled away, but the rest of the room was dark and blurry. “Are we late to school?”</p>
<p>“No. School’s canceled.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>Finally, she felt Link sit back on the futon bed, leaning over her to press his lips under her ear before whispering: “It’s snowing.”</p>
<p>Zelda sat up, nearly colliding with Link. “Snow? It’s a snow day?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. It’s a snow day. Come look.”</p>
<p>Zelda stumbled off the bed and nearly crashed into Link for a second time as she went to the window. Outside, there was already light coating of snow on the ground.</p>
<p>“There’s no school for <em>this</em>?” Zelda chuckled.</p>
<p>Link handed her his phone. It was the weather. “It’s going to get bad in about an hour. We got a text from the school.”</p>
<p>“Wow,” she muttered, looking at the screen. “Yeah, that is going to be pretty bad. We’re making a snowman. You have no opinion. We <em>are</em> making a snowman later.”</p>
<p>“Thank you for the free will. I’d have said yes.”</p>
<p>“Good. But first, we get to go back to sleep, right?”</p>
<p>Link flopped back onto the bed and nodded, nuzzling his face into the pillow as Zelda slid back under the covers. He pulled her closer and switched from the pillow to her neck. She shivered as his cold nose hit her skin, but she closed her eyes and immediately fell back asleep.</p>
<p>She dreamed of snow.</p>
<p>While they did often get snow, it wasn’t the kind that stuck around for long, or stuck together. Making a snowman would be difficult, and throwing a snowball would just serve to stick to their gloves and then dissipate into a flurry of falling snow rather than a solid weapon for throwing at everyone who passed by.</p>
<p>So in her dreams, the snow was perfect.</p>
<p>And she woke up to the smell of coffee.</p>
<p>She blinked her eyes open, rubbing them several times as the smell got stronger.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Link whispered, pushing some of the hair from her face. He was sitting beside her, cup in hand. He pulled his earbud out and set his iPod down.</p>
<p>Zelda groaned before rolling into Link’s leg and closing her eyes again. “Is it late?”</p>
<p>“Not really. You <em>can </em>go back to sleep if you want.”</p>
<p>“No. That coffee is waking me up.”</p>
<p>Link snorted and ran his hand through her hair a few more times. She watched him move a notebook off his lap and set the coffee beside another cup near the lamp.</p>
<p>“Did you have two coffees?” she asked.</p>
<p>Link scooted back down so he was nose-to-nose with Zelda. “No.”</p>
<p>“You smell like coffee.”</p>
<p>“You smell like morning breath, so we’re even.”</p>
<p>She leaned into him and kissed him quickly, just to make a point, before leaning over him, elbows digging into his stomach so she could look out the window. He grunted, but didn’t push her off.</p>
<p>The snow had accumulated to a point where see why they’d canceled school. There was a fine layer of frost on the window and there were several cars that were completely covered by a mound of snow.</p>
<p>Then, her eyes darted to the cups, because one of them had marshmallows still floating and un-melted.</p>
<p>“Is that hot chocolate?”</p>
<p>“I dug it out of the cabinet, but yeah.”</p>
<p>Zelda beamed and stared at the hot mug, unable to reach it from her current position. “Were you going to wake me?”</p>
<p>“No. Sometimes, you do this thing when you’re about to wake up where you flip your head around like, eight times. So, I knew you’d be up soon.”</p>
<p>“I…” Zelda smiled. “How often are you just watching me sleep to learn that?”</p>
<p>“One of the first few times, you whacked my nose, so now I’m just extra cautious.”</p>
<p>“That’s not an answer.”</p>
<p>Link lightly pushed her off his stomach and sat up, grabbing both cups and holding hers out while she readjusted beside him. They clanked the sides of the cups together before both taking a sip.</p>
<p>“You know,” Link said, a glint in his eyes, “Amalia used to watch Castor sleep before he left.”</p>
<p>This time, Zelda snorted. “Castor also watched her as a wolf and refused to give her a kind heads-up that he’s still alive. That show is pissing me off. He needs to get back to the pack now, or I’m boycotting.”</p>
<p>“You’ll never boycott that show,” Link laughed. “But I also think you ruined my point.”</p>
<p>“Oh, you had a point?”</p>
<p>“Shut up.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>To Zelda’s immense surprise and pleasure, the snow was the same as it was in her dream. It was thick enough that it stuck together, and—though she was supposed to be helping Link shovel out Aryll’s car—she’d been far more interested in relentlessly throwing snowballs at him.</p>
<p>At first, he’d reacted. He’d thrown a few back, but now, he simply let it happen as he continued to work on the car. Aryll had left it for him while Colin had picked her up the night before, so she was still at his house. And Link had the forethought to store his motorcycle at the garage when he’d heard that there was a chance of snow. So all they had to do was take care of the one car. Not the sidewalks: the landlord had that covered. Not the walkway. Just the car. And it was taking forever.</p>
<p>When Zelda was helping, she got tired often, her arms burning from the effort far quicker than Link’s did.</p>
<p>“Yes, we hired people to clear our yard!” she’d admitted after a few judgmental looks from Link when she kept dropping the shovel and her arms.</p>
<p>And Zelda was doing a decent job of helping, until Link realized that she’d piled all the snow right in front of the car, not <em>quite</em> realizing that then, they’d have to clear that out if they ever wanted to leave the parking spot.</p>
<p>“Oh to have a garage,” Link had jested as he kicked her out for a while.</p>
<p>To which, he received a snowball to the head.</p>
<p>“Aren’t we just going to have to do this again later?” Zelda asked, leaning on a pile of snow on the trunk before swiping it away with her arms. The snow showed no signs of lightening up.</p>
<p>“Yes, but it won’t be as bad because we’ve already done a lot of the work.”</p>
<p>He looked over at her and grinned. She was wearing most of his old things: an old winter coat and an oversized hat, gloves that kept sliding off her hands, Aryll’s boots with his large socks, his sweatshirt underneath the jacket, though she was wearing her own shirt and jeans with leggings underneath. She’d been sorely unprepared for snow with the clothes she had at his house.</p>
<p>“You cold?” he asked, looking especially at her red nose.</p>
<p>“No. Warm actually. It’s all this hard work.”</p>
<p>He chuckled and held his hand out to her. She took it and he helped her climb over a mound of snow before telling her to wait. He placed the shovel just inside the doorway and locked the door, slipping the keys into his pocket as he pulled Zelda with him down the street.</p>
<p>Most of it hadn’t been shoveled well, so they found themselves switching between the poorly plowed road, and the poorly shoveled sidewalk. There was no real happy medium between the two.</p>
<p>It took some time and maneuvering, but they reached the park near Link’s house. It was entirely coated with untouched snow. It was clean and unbesmirched by the gas exhaust of cars that would leave it brown or grey. There were no prints or impressions anywhere, and the piles were up to their knees in some spots.</p>
<p>“You’re sure you’re not cold?” Link asked again.</p>
<p>“I’m sure. Why did you bring me he—!”</p>
<p>Zelda felt Link crash into her, both of them landing in the snow. Link pinned her and grabbed a fistful of snow, plopping it unceremoniously on her head. “That’s for all the snowballs!”</p>
<p>Zelda was laughing too hard and pinned too well beneath him to retaliate. She received another faux snowball on her face before Link adjusted her hat and pulled it tighter against her head before rolling off her.</p>
<p>He knew he’d feel bone-cold later, but for now, lying back in the snow with all his layers on wasn’t horrible. In fact, he poked Zelda’s hand and began to wave his arms up and down and his legs side to side, making a figure in the snow. Zelda followed suit, though hers was a bit messier from their tumble.</p>
<p>They both stood up and admired their work before Zelda’s phone started to ring. Link wrapped his arms tightly around her from behind while Zelda grabbed her phone.</p>
<p>A video call from Makeela.</p>
<p>“Hey!” Zelda said cheerfully.</p>
<p>“You’re covered in snow. And Link is with you.”</p>
<p>Zelda made a face. “Yes? Want me to push him into a pile of snow and run off?”</p>
<p>“No,” Makeela said, though she seemed to be more anxious than usual. “I did a thing, and Link’s going to know about it anyway.”</p>
<p>“A thing?”</p>
<p>Makeela sighed, and Zelda noticed that she was hiding in one of her bathrooms.</p>
<p>“Okay, so I invited Pipit over to watch a movie last night, but then we watched another one, and then the snow started, so I told him to just stay over. And no! Nothing happened! We aren’t rabbits, like you two!”</p>
<p>Zelda grinned. “What’s the problem then?”</p>
<p>“He’s stuck here because of the snow! My parents are so confused because he can’t hear them and they can’t sign, and Pipit’s got the whiteboard and is trying to talk to them about breakfast, but he just met my parents! We haven’t even kissed, and he met my parents! Oh gods, I want to just die.” She covered her face.</p>
<p>“Just fucking kiss him already, Makeela!” Link said over Zelda’s shoulder. “You’re the outgoing one. He’ll never do it. As his best friend, I can tell you that he will wait another year or two, brood to me some more, and still never make a move.”</p>
<p>“My parents!”</p>
<p>Zelda started to laugh uncontrollably to herself. It was only when she calmed down that she looked back at Makeela, dead-serious. “I’ll give you the same advice you gave me: have him throw you into a pile of snow and drag him down with you!”</p>
<p>Link chuckled, but Makeela turned red. “That was her advice to you about me?”</p>
<p>Zelda nodded. “Our first official date, yeah. We kind of did that, I guess. Just without the leaves. But it got worse! I was scarred from her pep-talk so I remember every word!”</p>
<p>“Gods,” Makeela cursed. “Zelda…”</p>
<p>“I’ll even change it to fit with winter! ‘And then he’ll take off that green shirt of yours and be like ‘Hey babe, wish you’d worn brown, like my eyes.’ And you’ll be like, ‘Well, if it’s off what’s it matter?’”</p>
<p>“Zelda, please.”</p>
<p>But Link buried his face into Zelda’s neck to stop his laughter. “That was your advice for our first date? Makeela, you deserve this. See, Ilia told me to hold her hand and see if she was okay with it. You convinced Zelda to jump me in a park.”</p>
<p>“Okay, okay!”</p>
<p>But Zelda couldn’t stop. “Maybe I’ll just head your way and help things along. I’ll call your parents and get them out of the house for you, and then I’ll sneak into your basement and cut the power so you two have to cozy up to keep warm! Maybe I’ll even do it tonight when it’s dark, and you’ll need candles and—”</p>
<p>Makeela hung up.</p>
<p>Zelda slipped the phone into her pocket, giggling. “Oh gods, she’s always pretended to be so superior about things! She really likes him. I think that’s why she’s so flustered! I remember when she had her first kiss, she marched right up and planted one on him. No warning. Nothing. They dated for a bit, but I think she scared him off. That’s usually her MO.”</p>
<p>“Not Pip’s,” Link said, rolling a snowball in his hand and then placing it down to roll it in the snow. “He’s never forward or anything with people. He is with me and Gabe and Ilia, but we don’t really count. We’re like family.”</p>
<p>Link’s snowball was growing in size, and Zelda’s eyes lit up as she realized what he was doing and followed suit for the center piece.</p>
<p>“I wish we could be flies on that wall.”</p>
<p>“Apparently, we’re just rabbits.”</p>
<p>Zelda shook her head and they worked on the snowman for a while.</p>
<p>But soon, Zelda’s hands had turned to nothing, even under her gloves, and she was leaning into Link, soaking in what little body heat he had to offer.</p>
<p>“I’m freezing, Link,” she admitted.</p>
<p>Link put down the piece of snow in his hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. “Thank the Goddess; so am I. Let’s go!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We can come back later and see if anyone destroyed or finished him,” she said, wistfully looking at their unfinished snowman.</p>
<p>“If we’re not icicles.”</p>
<p>“True.”</p>
<p>The walk back to the house was more difficult. They had to trudge through the newly fallen snow as they headed home.</p>
<p>When they went inside, they stopped just inside the doorway to brush snow off each other, helping the other peel off the layers that had been soaked through and were doing more harm than good when it came to the bone chilling cold they both felt.</p>
<p>Link hung their jackets and organized their boots, gloves and hats all in the kitchen near the sink. He leaned against the doorframe as he watched Zelda run from room to room.</p>
<p>Zelda ran hot water in the shower, but knew it took at least a minute for the water to get even remotely warm, so she wanted to start it early. Then she ran to Link’s room to grab thick, dry clothes for both of them before tossing those onto the couch and heading back in, then out again with nothing in her hands.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” he finally asked.</p>
<p>She looked at him, red faced, teeth chattering, and hunched over. “Getting a hot shower ready. What are <em>you </em>doing?”</p>
<p>“Watching you.”</p>
<p>Zelda rolled her eyes and leaned into the door, a flirty smile taking over her face. “You know, the hot water doesn’t last too long here, if you want to conserve some?”</p>
<p>Link started to chuckle before following her. “<em>Rabbits</em>.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Neither of them could sleep.</p>
<p>Not only was it still unknown if there would be school the next day, but both of them were exhausted and simply couldn’t sleep, as well as fluctuating between too hot, and freezing.</p>
<p>They were lying together in the bed, in the dark, <em>attempting</em> to fall asleep, but they’d gotten distracted, and began talking instead – talking about snow, and the things they used to do: the igloo that Link and Mikau once managed to make, the time Zelda had nearly skated on her frozen pool as a kid until her dad pulled her away.</p>
<p>Zelda’s hand was running a path up and down Link’s arm as she used him as a pillow. Sometimes, her fingers would brush the patch on his arm, and she’d try to remember to stop short of it. One fear of hers was accidently puling a loose corner and violently tearing some of the hairs off his arm. He’d told her that she was fine, but it never seemed to do much to calm her.</p>
<p>She tilted her head to look at him. His eyes were closed, and he was smiling ever so slightly. Every few breaths out, he’d let out a contented sigh and let his fingers run through her hair.</p>
<p>Until his fingers suddenly stopped and he sat up, staring at his mostly closed door.</p>
<p>“What?” Zelda asked, trying to peek.</p>
<p>Link slid out from the blankets and gabbed something heavy off the floor. He didn’t even know what it was. “Someone’s jiggling the door handle,” he whispered back.</p>
<p>Zelda sprung to her feet, pulling a sweatshirt on in one swift motion as she grabbed something as well and stood on the other side of the door.</p>
<p>Link held up his hand, telling Zelda to wait before she charged out there with her… textbook. If there wasn’t someone trying to get into their home, Link would have laughed at her.</p>
<p>But the door gently creaked open, and Link held his breath, tightening his grip on whatever he’d grabbed, only to release it and let it fall from his hand as he saw who stepped through the door.</p>
<p>“Aryll?”</p>
<p>She turned to him and dropped the keys on the floor, grinning as she stumbled over to him. “Link! Did you see all the snow?”</p>
<p>“It’s…” Link turned around to see a clock. “It’s two in the morning after we got piles of snow all day! Why are you home?”</p>
<p>“Oh,” she giggled, tripping over nothing as she moved to lean on the doorframe. “Well, I went to Colin’s, and then I went to Mila’s. And Mila had wine, so we had some. And then we went to Maggie’s and we had some more. So then I was like… I need to go to sleep, you know? So when I told them to bring me home, I <em>forgot</em> I was at Colin’s house because I’m here!”</p>
<p>But Aryll wasn’t done. She walked into Link’s room and looked at Zelda. “Were you studying?”</p>
<p>Zelda glanced at the book in her hands. “Oh, no. I was going to use it as a weapon if you were a burglar or something.”</p>
<p>Aryll’s eyes widened, and for a moment, Zelda thought Aryll was going to cry. “You were going to protect the house and my brother? I love you! You’re a keeper! Link, she was going to fight a burg…burg-ular with a textbook for you!”</p>
<p>Link grinned and patted Zelda’s arm. “Thank you, Zel. My life is safe in your studious hands.”</p>
<p>“You better believe it,” she laughed, finally putting the book down.</p>
<p>“Okay, Aryll,” Link said, grabbing her and leading her into her own room. “Go to sleep.”</p>
<p>“We should have pancakes.”</p>
<p>“If you’re up in time, I’ll make pancakes in a few hours,” Link promised. There was no way she’d be up.</p>
<p>He closed the door and went back to his room to grab his phone, quickly letting Collin know that Aryll was at their house. As it turned out, she hadn’t told him she’d gone to the wrong house and had already begun to worry.</p>
<p>“Snow days…” Link muttered, flopping back into the bed. Zelda followed him.</p>
<p>“<em>Now</em> I’m tired!” Zelda laughed. The stress of thinking someone had gotten into their house was enough to make her eyes heavy.</p>
<p>“Me too.”</p>
<p>He pulled Zelda close to him and nuzzled his face into her hair as he closed his eyes.</p>
<p>And he dreamed of snow.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Here's a nice fluffy chapter as my "I'm sorry it's been so long" apology! I got hooked on Age of Calamity (which I am so close to 100% on), and then I have a week and a half left of work, so I'm up to my ears in final papers! BUT THEN I'M ON VACATION, so I'm probably going to focus mostly on my smaller fics until I finish a decent chunk of my legit work-work, but then I'll be able to whip some chapters out again for this story because I'LL BE FREE (for a while anyway)! WOOOO!</p>
<p>(Also, something is up with my keyboard, so if there's more typos than usual, I apologize! I'm going to clean the keys after I post this, so hopefully next chapter won't be quite so hostile to my spelling abilities!)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0045"><h2>45. Chapter 45</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was hard to imagine life any differently than she was living it.</p>
<p>Zelda would wake up beside Link, in his bed, in his house. She wasn’t on her giant mattress that was far superior to his. And honestly, she didn’t entirely mind missing out on it in the grand scheme of things. Sure, if she sat and thought about it, she’d wistfully daydream about flopping down and pulling up the warm, fuzzy blankets she kept on the top shelf of the closet. She would certainly never think about the down feathered pillows that adorned her bed or the way she used to sink right into them.</p>
<p>She’d never admit it.</p>
<p>Out loud.</p>
<p>She missed her house many mornings. She missed the occasional mornings that her parents would be home. She missed knowing that they were all one unit.</p>
<p>Now, they were more divided than she ever thought possible. She was with Link, and her parents were both with other people, potentially separated, potentially divorced… she didn’t even know. No one had told her.</p>
<p>With the snow still sticking to the ground, though the roads were <em>mostly</em> clear, and the frosty chill, Link had been taking Aryll’s car, or being dropped off at work and school by Zelda, who would then leave for her own job. It was a very scheduled existence, but for now, it meant that they didn’t lose their jobs, or their education. It worked, even if it wasn’t particularly fun. And both of them had found that their most common argument was about the other’s inability to make it to the car on time or, Goddess forbid, <em>early</em>.</p>
<p>So, on Wednesday, when Zelda didn’t have to go to work or practice, she went over to Makeela’s.</p>
<p>Zelda liked to think that she’d gotten over her entitled ways. Living with Link had definitely taken away some of the luxuries she’d taken for granted. A television, for one. She’d never known to appreciate having a television show available in a box that was not attached to a keyboard that balanced on their laps.</p>
<p>And space.</p>
<p>Everything in Link and Aryll’s apartment was used to the fullest of its abilities. The kitchen was also a storage closet because the side of the fridge had a small alcove. Under the coffee table was a surge protector because that was the most convenient place to reach all the plugs. There was one spot that Zelda always had to turn sideways to get through.</p>
<p>Zelda loved everything about Link. His home was becoming her own second home. Everything about it was exactly what she needed. And best of all, it had Link in it.</p>
<p>But she was human, and she missed her large bed, comfy couch, and the open floorplan. She missed her private back yard and the garage that always had a parking spot readily available. Come the spring and summer, she’d miss the pool and the hot tub and the trampoline.</p>
<p>She missed her parents.</p>
<p>Makeela’s family wasn’t as well-off as Zelda’s, but they weren’t struggling either. They had a nice hallway right through the front door, a place to hang coats, a separate living room and den and kitchen, two bathrooms, and three bedrooms upstairs, one of which was a guest room/office.</p>
<p>For the most part, whenever any friends came over, they were in either Makeela’s room, or the living room. Her parents were either at work until 4pm, or they’d stay in the den when they were home.</p>
<p>And it was a neat house. Not pristine, as Zelda’s was. A visitor might even think that the home had been set up for an open house. But Makeela’s was lived-in, like Link’s. There were photographs all over the walls, a mess of things on the table. Mail was scattered around, Makeela’s bed was unmade, there was toothpaste that spilled on the bathroom sink. It was a home.  </p>
<p>Link’s house was starting to feel that way, but it was just short of one key thing: it didn’t feel like <em>hers</em>.</p>
<p>She was in Link’s bed, sitting on Aryll’s couch, using food they’d all pitched in for. She longed to go to college and finally have things that were hers. If she was in an apartment, that was obvious, but if she was in a dorm, she’d have her fridge, her microwave, <em>her </em>things.</p>
<p>“Am I selfish?” Zelda finally asked aloud, turning to Makeela with a questioning expression.</p>
<p>Makeela shrugged. “I don’t think so? Are you thinking of something specific? Like, you didn’t lend me your textbook before break. Or like, if I were to ask you for $100, you’re already planning to turn me down?”</p>
<p>“Like, I’m happy, and I’m so grateful to Link and Aryll, but I want to go home, too. Is that selfish?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think so.”</p>
<p>Makeela spun around to look at her friend, flopping onto her stomach on the bed. “Why do you think that’s selfish?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know,” Zelda admitted, tugging at her hair before putting her homework away that they’d already finished earlier. “I guess because I should just be grateful. And I am! Don’t get me wrong! It’s just…”</p>
<p>Makeela waited, clicking her heels together in the air.</p>
<p>Zelda sighed. “I miss my parents. So much. And I don’t understand why, because every time I see them, they’re awful to me or to Link! But still, I just want to tell my mom about our last volleyball game, and how well we did. And I want to see my dad stand in the corner of the gym because he can only come by on his lunch break. Or, I want to chose to go home to eat some days. Even if they’re not there long, even if they get called back to work, I want to eat with them again and talk about school. I want to tell them the part I’m going to try for in the play next week. I want to sleep in my bed one night. Bonus points if Link can come over, but I just want my bed, and my room, and my things around me. And it makes me feel so selfish. Am I just asking for too much?”</p>
<p>Makeela scoffed. “Wanting your parents to be parents? Wanting to be able to visit your own house? No, you’re not asking for enough, actually.”</p>
<p>Zelda plopped her head against the desk and let out a breath. “Life would be so much easier if we were werewolves, you know?”</p>
<p>“No. ‘Lone wolf’ is the term the show is so fond of this season, remember? You’d have all the same problems, and probably no Link since Castor is a jerk and took off on Amalia.”</p>
<p>Zelda hummed before lifting her head, a sinister grin on her face. “Looking forward to Saturday?”</p>
<p>“Shut up!” Makeela hissed just in time to flush bright red. “How many more times are you going to ask me that?”</p>
<p>“Until it sinks in that <em>you did it! </em>That you <em>finally</em> asked Pipit out! And I support you whole-heartedly. Watch and repeat: <em>I am so glad you asked Pipit on a date</em>,” Zelda signed.</p>
<p>Makeela made a face. “I saw Pipit’s name in there.”</p>
<p>“Good! That’s progress! How about this: <em>What do you want to eat?”</em></p>
<p>“Zelda,” Makeela said, mockingly lowering her voice into the most serious tone ever. “He has taught me words like ‘thank you’ and ‘Makeela’, ‘Zelda’, ‘Link’, ‘Ilia’ ‘Pipit’ and ‘be right back’. He taught me the alphabet and how to count. I’m a signing child. I have no idea what you’re saying.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Zelda said, throwing herself onto the bed, getting comfortable. “Let me teach you some basics!”</p>
<p>They ran through phrases that Makeela might need to know for someone who’d be getting lunch. They both knew that Pipit wasn’t going to try to have a full conversation with her, but it was her effort and attempts to learn that counted, even if the gestures were sloppy or wrong.</p>
<p>Zelda decided to make a stop at Hyrule Energized before returning to Link’s, but as she dug through her bag, she sighed and pulled into a parking spot before grabbing her phone and calling Makeela.</p>
<p>“What did you forget?”</p>
<p>Zelda rolled her eyes. “Is my wallet on your floor near the desk? I think it fell out when I was grabbing books.”</p>
<p>“Hang on… yep! Does this mean I get a finder’s fee and can take some money?”</p>
<p>“Go ahead and try. I’m not carrying anything. But I need my card and my license, so can you run out with it in a bit? I’ll call when I get back to your house.”</p>
<p>“Sure!”</p>
<p>“Thanks.”</p>
<p>Zelda groaned and put the car in reverse. It was just going to end up being <em>that </em>kind of night.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Link hopped from foot to foot in the electronics shop. Pipit watched him with disinterest. Link, as it happened, had a charley horse and was hissing as he attempted to rid himself of the painful cramp.</p>
<p><em>“Scale of 1-10?” </em>Pipit asked after a while.</p>
<p>Link held up 5 fingers and proceeded to wander around. “Damn!” he muttered to himself, pressing his thumb into the spot it hurt the most and attempting to relieve it.</p>
<p>It didn’t work.</p>
<p>Pipit leaned on the counter and watched Link as if he were <em>Moonlight Howl</em>. More than anything else though, he was grateful that it hadn’t been <em>him</em> who’d gotten the charley horse. He smirked, content with his own task that Gabe had set for him: reassembling a flashlight.</p>
<p>Link intentionally banged into Pipit as he walked by, and Link heard Pipit chuckle, though he didn’t react any other way as Link went back to Gabe, who’d taken over Link’s task on the car in front of them.</p>
<p>“Bend your knees next time, hot-shot.”</p>
<p>Link glared at his mentor. “I wasn’t being a hot-shot. I was doing my job.”</p>
<p>“Trying to impress me, or yourself, or hell, maybe you’re trying to impress Zelda in your brain, but no matter what, you were showing off. You work slower and smarter. None of this speed bullshit. And you know that you need to watch how you stand when you’re in the hood, especially if it’s going to be a while.”</p>
<p>“I know,” Link groaned.</p>
<p>The pain was subsiding, and he finally felt like he could <em>at least</em> change the tire.</p>
<p>Gabe let him, but he watched with practiced scrutiny.</p>
<p>It wasn’t until an hour later, as a new car was pulling up, that Gabe grabbed Link’s arm to pull him aside. “Link, take the next appointment for me.”</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>“No, I mean the whole thing. Whatever it is, take it. I won’t even hover.”</p>
<p>Link blinked a few times, confused. “Are… are you sure?”</p>
<p>“I am. Now don’t keep him waiting. Go.”</p>
<p>Gabe watched Link hurry over to the man getting out of the car. He could hear Link greet him properly, that part never had him worried. Link had great people skills when he wanted to. The man hopped into the car that pulled up behind them and they drove off, leaving Link to inspect the car.</p>
<p>True to his word, Gabe left to check on Pipit, leaving Link alone.</p>
<p>An hour in, Link was hunched in the hood—knees bent—as he worked around the wires.</p>
<p>His hand was blistering. He’d forgotten to put his gloves on when he’d begun, and now he felt it was just worth taking the hit. He always preferred being able to work and <em>feel </em>everything he was doing.</p>
<p>The smell of oil and burning metal was strong. The owner of the car had done some damage internally, and it was fairly obvious from the second Link had opened the hood. Every now and then, Link had to cover his face and his nose with his arm just to catch a breath that wasn’t suffocating with the overwhelming scents.</p>
<p>Link pushed his hair off his sticky forehead, careful to only use the back of his hands as he did so he didn’t smear oil and lubricant all over himself. As it was, he already looked a mess, and he didn’t need Zelda catching him covered in grease, oil, and sweat.</p>
<p>He found himself smirking. She’d like it, if only in theory.</p>
<p>Link took a water break, washing up in the sink a fair bit. With that, most of the mess was on his coveralls, which was their purpose anyway. When he went back, he did opt to add the gloves over his hands. And this time, he grabbed his hat off the chair, smoothing back his hair and plopping the cap on backwards so he could see just as well.</p>
<p>His vision narrowed until it was just him and the car. If Gabe had been hanging straight over his shoulder, he’d never have noticed.</p>
<p>Gabe was, in fact, watching. But he was doing so from the safe distance of the employee room, unnoticed by Link. Pipit had succeeded in reconstructing the flashlight, so Gabe had let him go home. That side of the store was calm enough.</p>
<p>Gabe took a deep breath as he watched Link. Gabe knew that he still hadn’t decided on the early acceptance school. He knew Link worried about being able to afford the whole tuition, room, books, food, everything. The local college was a good option to save money. He could live at home, work at the shop, and the brunt of the bill was paid. But he also knew the University of Central Hyrule had everything Link had ever wanted.</p>
<p>Gabe watched Link, so full of talent, so full of energy. How he wanted to secretly put some money into Link’s bank and just pay for him to go to school at UCH. But Link had already warned him against such an act of generosity.</p>
<p><em>“I’d never be able to repay you,”</em> Link had argued.</p>
<p>
  <em>“You can repay me by doing well. That’s enough for me.”</em>
</p>
<p>He’d offered to pay for Pipit as well. He had no children. No spouse. He had three thriving businesses and lived in a small loft. He didn’t need to hoard his money.</p>
<p>But no, Pipit insisted on a gap year, and Link refused any help Gabe had offered.</p>
<p>Stubborn boys.</p>
<p>Gabe wasn’t one to meddle, but he’d even considered going to Aryll or Zelda to see if they could change Link’s mind. He had time to work on Pipit. Half a semester off was far less than a full gap year, and he intended to remind Pipit every second that he could have been Link’s roommate at UCH if they’d let him pay their tuition.</p>
<p>Suddenly, there was a relentless ringing noise.</p>
<p>He came out of the room and went to Link’s side.</p>
<p>Link had the tip of his glove’s finger in his mouth, and Gabe promptly—but lightly—hit Link in the back of the head. “Don’t put that in your mouth! What are you, a child? That’s oil!”</p>
<p>“My phone won’t stop ringing!”</p>
<p>Gabe rolled his eyes and dug Link’s phone out of the coverall’s pocket.</p>
<p>It was Zelda.</p>
<p>Gabe flashed the screen at Link. “Mind if I just answer and have you call her back when you’re done?”</p>
<p>“Yeah sure. She’ll understand.” He ducked back into the car, listening to Gabe’s receding footsteps as he answered the phone.</p>
<p>Link leaned against the metal for a moment, looking around the hood. He was close… so close. Reattaching a wire, he felt a shark crack against his finger, not as bad as it could have been but hot and fast all the same. Shocked. Damn.</p>
<p>He pulled it back, checking to ensure that the wire was okay, when he felt Gabe’s hand on his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Can we talk, Link?”</p>
<p>Link set the wire down and immediately pulled his glove off, inspecting his finger. “Sure. But the wire looks okay, so if it’s about that spark—”</p>
<p>“It’s about Zelda. Come into the back, I need to have a talk with you.”</p>
<p>Link made a face and grabbed the wet towel from the sink, peeling off his layers and wiping the sweat and grime off him before stepping out of the messy jumpsuit to sit on the couch, ready for a break anyway.</p>
<p>When Gabe made that face, Link grimaced in response.</p>
<p>“She’s not pregnant or anything, so this can’t be about safety or anything again. I don’t have a ring in my pocket you accidently found. So what did I do wrong? Did she say something?”</p>
<p>Gabe nodded, more to himself than to Link, and pulled the seat across out. “Just… I need you to take a deep breath so I know you can.”</p>
<p>“What happened? Is it Aryll? Is Aryll okay? Or Zelda? Are they okay?”</p>
<p>Gabe nodded again, though this time was clearly to Link. “They’re okay. But Zelda did get hurt.”</p>
<p>Link’s eyes bugged out and he leaned forward a bit. “What did she say? Is she home? Do you mind if I leave early?”</p>
<p>“Link,” Gabe said, more cautious, more careful. He rested his hand on Link’s knee. “She got into a car accident. She’s in the hospital. Breathe through that before I continue.”</p>
<p>Breathe?</p>
<p>There was no more air in the room.</p>
<p>Hurt.</p>
<p>Zelda was hurt. In a car accident.</p>
<p>A car accident.</p>
<p>“She’s alive,” Gabe stressed, watching panic play out across Link’s features. “She’s not Mikau, Link. This didn’t kill her. It wasn’t <em>that </em>bad.”</p>
<p>“How bad?” he croaked out. He tried to rest his hands under his chin, but everything was shaking too much. He couldn’t use his arms to pick up the towel he’d dropped.</p>
<p>“They didn’t tell me much, but—”</p>
<p>“<em>They?”</em></p>
<p>Gabe stopped himself and nodded. “The doctors called. She doesn’t have her license on her, so they were calling numbers in her phone. Makeela didn’t answer, and you were the next one.”</p>
<p>Color drained from Link’s face, and the room spun rapidly. It felt like every body part had sunk down to his stomach and he wanted nothing more than to throw it all up. His pulse was rapid and hard, hitting his skin as it throbbed.</p>
<p>“Why can’t she just tell them her name?” he asked carefully.</p>
<p>Gabe tightened his grip on Link’s bouncing knee. “She’s not conscious.”</p>
<p>Link pushed Gabe’s hand off and stumbled over to the cabinet. It looked like Link was in an earthquake, his hand couldn’t stop shaking the metal, and then the rough clanging of his keys jingled aggressively.</p>
<p>“What hospital?”</p>
<p>Gabe took Link’s hand and pried the keys away from his fingers. “Mipha’s Grace. But you’re not driving. I’ll take you.”</p>
<p>Gabe pulled Link back when he tried to walk.</p>
<p>Link’s lip was trembling, and his eyes were narrowed in an attempt to stop himself from shedding a tear.</p>
<p>“It’s not Mikau, Link. She’s not dead.”</p>
<p>“She’s unconscious.”</p>
<p>“We don’t know anything. We don’t know why. Maybe they sedated her. Don’t go into this looking for ways she could die. She’s not Mikau. Say it back.”</p>
<p>“Can we go?”</p>
<p>“Link…”</p>
<p>“Fuck, Gabe! She’s not Mikau! Let’s go!”</p>
<p>“Good. Get in the truck.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>WELL I'll admit I have been dying to do this chapter since the second I figured out Link's backstory. I even originally had this happening really early on in this fic! I'm glad I waited! Also, I'm almost done with work, so you have to wait just a few more days to resolve this cliffhanger, and then I can post more regularly again! Plus, I am 10 koroks away from 100% on AOC, and I'll be SO free it'll be crazy. Maybe I'll even post a chapter two days in a row soon! The thought makes me swoon.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0046"><h2>46. Chapter 46</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The roads were clear of all the snow from just days ago, but the plows had pushed it all into the corners, making each turn slightly more treacherous. Parking lots had been overtaken by small mountains of the white stuff, now tainted by exhaust fumes and dirt that turned large clumps of it brown.</p>
<p>Gabe was extra careful, watching for patches of black ice or anything else that might have caused Zelda’s accident. The doctors hadn’t disclosed much to him other than her current state in the hospital. How long had she been there before they started going through her things to find an ID? Was she <em>really </em>okay?</p>
<p>“Link?”</p>
<p>“Hrmm?” was all he could manage, leaning against the window.</p>
<p>“Have you prepared yourself? We’re not going in there with much information, and I need to know you’re ready for whatever.”</p>
<p>“I’m fine.”</p>
<p>Gabe let it go, seeing that Link wasn’t ready for anything yet. Instead he focused more intently on the road than he ever had in his life.</p>
<p>Link, on the other hand, couldn’t breathe. He could smell the stinking burn of crushed metal and the reek of the engine. He’d gotten over that smell years ago when he started working for Gabe, but the first time he’d breathed it in, he’d nearly fallen apart, pressing himself against the wall just to remind himself that there wasn’t a piece of metal lodged in his back. He had to do it now, straightening up so he could feel every inch of his shoulder touching the seat behind him.</p>
<p>He cursed his brain for its insistence on reminding him of an event he couldn’t remember. His brain didn’t. His body did.</p>
<p>Distantly, like a whisper, he thought he could hear the remnants of a scream, and when he closed his eyes, he couldn’t place if it was his, or if it was Mikau’s voice. But the memory hurt his throat, so he figured it had to have been his.</p>
<p>Link shook his head to try to wipe the fragmented memories from his mind. He could feel the air that Gabe had turned on, despite the cold air outside. It was aimed straight at his face. He hadn’t even noticed, but the car had stopped moving, and they were in the hospital parking lot.</p>
<p>“You ready?”</p>
<p>Link ran his hands through his hair, fisting it for a moment before letting it all go. “Yeah. You coming?”</p>
<p>“As far as they’ll let me.”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>Gabe hurried behind Link, waiting as the automatic doors opened far slower than either of them would have liked. But he was surprised when Link didn’t run straight to the desk to ask where Zelda was.</p>
<p>Instead, Link turned to Gabe. “What if they don’t let me in?”</p>
<p>“We’ll get you in.”</p>
<p>Leaning on the info desk, Link felt his whole body shake, remembering the words “deceased” being repeated to him over and over as he laid in his own hospital bed. Doctors trying to make him hear what they were saying to him for the fortieth time.</p>
<p>“Ze—”</p>
<p>He swallowed, unable to do it.</p>
<p>Gabe rested a hand on Link’s shoulder and gently moved him aside. “Hello. Could you direct us to the emergency department?”</p>
<p>The man behind the desk gave clear instructions, none of which made it through to Link. Instead, he blindly followed Gabe until they reached another desk. “We were called regarding Zelda Harkinian?”</p>
<p>The woman looked between them and then typed something into her computer. “Follow me, and I’ll find one of her nurses. Are you her father?”</p>
<p>“No. I’m… his father,” he pointed to Link. Better than saying he was his employer. “He’s her boyfriend.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” she said, stopping in front of a drawn curtain. “She’s in here. I don’t think she’s conscious yet, but you can wait inside, and I’ll grab Celia for you. She’ll explain more.”</p>
<p> The nurse left, and Gabe waited for Link to move. “Need a minute to do this alone?”</p>
<p>Link shook his head. “Actually, can you go first? Just… make sure she’s not dead.”</p>
<p>Gabe went to logically explain how they’d have been in the room with her already if she was, but he could tell Link’s brain wasn’t really in the mood for logic, so instead, he nodded and headed inside.</p>
<p>Link paced for a few moments, hearing Gabe say something to him. He wasn’t exactly sure what it was, but he knew Gabe would’ve come out if she wasn’t okay.</p>
<p>So, Link pushed the curtain aside and stepped in.</p>
<p>He held his breath when he took her in. There were bruises on her face: one under her eye, a red nose, a large one on her chin. Her lip was split, and there was a large red line that disappeared into her hospital gown, one that was clearly from her seatbelt. Her arm was propped up on a pillow, bruised as well, especially around her wrist.</p>
<p>But the beeping on the monitor looked steady, not that he really knew for sure. It didn’t sound too slow or too erratic. And her blood pressure was a little low, but it didn’t seem like she was ready to crash. He wasn’t sure if her heartrate numbers were normal, but there were no alarms going off.</p>
<p>Link spun around at the sound of the curtain jingling, and a nurse stepped inside. She had dark hair tied back into a tight bun, but there were loose strands sticking out wildly, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She walked with a slight limp, but it was one distinctly held in her back from standing on her feet all day rather than from a physical injury. Despite all that, she greeted them with a smile, as if she were fresh on her shift.  “Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Celia, I’ve been taking care of Zelda today. Which one of you did I speak with on the phone?”</p>
<p>Gabe extended his hand. “That would be me. I’m Gabe. This is Link; it was his phone.”</p>
<p>“Okay, have a seat. I need to go over a few things with you. First off, do either of you happen to have any of her identification? Not that we don’t trust your word, but we’d like to have that to confirm her identity.”</p>
<p>Link couldn’t look away from Zelda, even when he spoke. “No. She works here though.”</p>
<p>“Oh!” Celia gasped. “Do you know her ID number here?”</p>
<p>“No. She works for Impa Sage though, in that program you guys have where high schoolers can work here around their schedules.”</p>
<p>Celia wrote that down. “Okay, I’ll see if I can get ahold of her. In the meantime, can you verify what information we have from her past chart?”</p>
<p>Link glanced once at Gabe before moving closer to Zelda. “Can you tell me what happened?”</p>
<p>Celia smiled, a soft comforting thing rather than anything of joy. “Not much, hon. She was in a car accident and the ambulance brought her here. She was unconscious when they got to her, she woke up for about a minute, and then we gave her something to help her sleep when she got here. The results did just come back for her arm, so we’re just waiting for the doctor to finish with other patients before he comes in here to get her into a cast.”</p>
<p>“Cast?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, hon, she’ll need a cast. We’re waiting on the rest of her lab work now, but I can’t share any of the results with you without her permission.”</p>
<p>“But she’s okay? She’s going to wake up?”</p>
<p>Celia set her chart down and looked Link squarely in the eyes. “Yes. She will. We haven’t even had the chance to ask her anything. We don’t know the whole story yet. Only what the labs, witnesses, and the bruises are telling us. Are you okay to help me verify a few things?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he breathed out, taking the seat beside Zelda. She separated him and Nurse Celia, allowing him to keep Zelda in his peripheral vision. He wanted to hold her hand, but one was broken, propped up on the pillows, and the other had needles taped to the back of her hand, and he was too afraid to jostle them.</p>
<p>Celia asked questions like Zelda’s birthday, her address—which he fumbled over at first before giving her actual home address—her cell phone, and emergency contacts, which, as it turned out, one had been Link. He wondered if she’d done that when she got the job at the hospital. It made his hand itch for hers even more.</p>
<p>Some of the questions, he struggled over. Her medications, which she was less forthcoming about, consisted of vague descriptions from him of what he knew. “She has birth control in her arm. When she has a bad headache, she takes something. She takes salt pills sometimes. I carry some. Do you need to see? Will that help? I know she takes a few more, but she’s private about it.”</p>
<p>“That’s fine,” Celia said, “You did a great job. This is perfect until we can ask her. I’ll be back soon with the doctor for the cast, okay?”</p>
<p>“Can…” He looked away to control his breathing. “Can I hold her hand? Or will that do something to all the… stuff.”</p>
<p>“I think it’ll be good for you to hold her hand. Everything is in there nice and tight, so you don’t need to walk on eggshells. I’ll try to get ahold of Nurse Impa, okay?”</p>
<p>Link was already in the seat, maneuvering his hand into hers around the tubes.</p>
<p>“Yeah, thank you very much, Nurse Celia,” Gabe said, taking the second seat on the other side.</p>
<p>Link closed his eyes for a long moment before opening them, making sure that everything was how he imagined it, and that he wasn’t holding a cold hand, but a warm one. He needed to remind himself to listen to the steady monitors, and watch the blanket move up and down with every breath she took.</p>
<p>Gabe watched him closely. Red eyes, fighting back tears that he couldn’t bring himself to control. Hand shaking, despite holding hers. “Link,” Gabe said, leaning forward until Link managed to make eye contact. “She’s asleep right now. She doesn’t need you to be calm or strong. When she wakes up, she might need you to be, but she doesn’t <em>right now</em>. So do what you need to do. Goddess knows I won’t judge you. You’ve seen me break down enough times.”</p>
<p>“Not in years,” Link said, running his thumb over Zelda’s skin. “I’m a fucking wreck all the time.”</p>
<p>“You’re not. You went through enough shit in an incredibly short time. If I were you, I’d have ended up back in jail for lashing out. But you chose a different path, and you’re sticking with it. Sometimes, things boil over. Even the best chefs leave the stove on too high sometimes. Things spill over the edge. Doesn’t mean anything’s ruined.”</p>
<p>“Poetic.”</p>
<p>“I’m a damn poet laureate, don’t you know?”</p>
<p>Link managed a chuckle before biting his lip. “Did I see <em>them</em> after?”</p>
<p>“Mik and your dad? Yeah. You saw Mikau’s face in the hospital just before they took him away. And you saw your dad a few times until they took him away too.”</p>
<p>“Were you there the whole time?”</p>
<p>“No. I was running things back home during a lot of it. I was back and forth, here and there, you know?”</p>
<p>Link nodded and tentatively ran a finger away from one of Zelda’s bruises. “Did we all look like this?”</p>
<p>“Worse.”</p>
<p>With a sharp breath, Link felt the cool line of a tear on both his cheeks and sniffled. “I just want her to fucking wake up. She just looks… I mean, I can see her breathing, and that machine isn’t rigged, but I can’t stop shaking. I need to see her wake up to know this isn’t some fucking nightmare. It’s like… I can’t separate today and <em>that day</em>.”</p>
<p>Gabe set the box of tissues down beside Link and returned to his seat. “What do you need from me?”</p>
<p>“Nothing. This one’s on me.” He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against their joined hands. With his other arm, he tucked it under his eyes so any tears would get soaked into his sleeve before making it down his face.</p>
<p>Some time later, they heard as the chipper voice of Nurse Celia returned. “Hello, this is Dr. Borville. He’s on Zelda’s case, and he’s going to wrap her wrist in a brace, okay? If you just want to step over here while he works.”</p>
<p>“Come on,” he heard Gabe whisper, hand on his shoulder to guide him away.</p>
<p>Celia noticed Link’s red face, and hers dropped immediately. “Hey, hon, she’s going to be okay, you know. She’s banged up a bit, so it looks scary, but she’ll be alright.”</p>
<p>Link pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded, wiping any remaining tears from his eyes. “She wants to be a nurse.”</p>
<p>“Oh?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. She’ll have to deal with crazy people like me.”</p>
<p>Celia made a face and placed a hand on his arm. “You’re not crazy. You know something, you’re my favorite kind of family member to ‘deal with’ because I know how loved my patients are at home. Sometimes, when they’re here alone and they go home alone, I want to just give them a hug and let them know that we’re here, but they leave us and go back. At least when she leaves, I have the peace of mind knowing that she’s going to be well cared for while she recovers.”</p>
<p>There was a ringing sound then, and Link’s eyes darted to her monitor. He tried to remember all of the numbers, to see what changed, but they all looked the same. His heartrate picked up, and he stumbled backwards towards the curtain.</p>
<p>But Gabe had his arm. “It’s her phone. It’s just her phone.”</p>
<p>“Makeela?” Celia said, glancing at the screen.</p>
<p>Link reached out his shaking hand, and Gabe gave Link the phone.</p>
<p>“H-hello?” he said, stepping out of the little makeshift room, still able to see Zelda, but far enough to not disturb anyone.</p>
<p>“Oh, Goddess! She’s with <em>you</em>!? I was so worried, and she went to see <em>you</em>!”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“She said she was going to come back for her wallet and never did! I was like ‘maybe she went to Hyrule Energized and saw someone’ but she has no wallet! Then she called me and I missed it, then I called back and she missed it. Ugh. Let me talk to her please?”</p>
<p>“M-Makeela,” Link tried, breathing deeply before finding his voice again. “She’s… she’s with me, but we’re not home. We’re at the hospital.”</p>
<p>“Why? It’s her day off.”</p>
<p>Freezing up, Link wasn’t sure how to answer that. How had Gabe told him?</p>
<p>“Makeela, she got into a… a car accident. She’s okay. She’s banged up, but she’s okay.”</p>
<p>“Oh gods, let me talk to her.”</p>
<p>Link’s hand shook harder as he held the phone to his ear. His eyes were glued to Zelda, where the doctor was working on her arm. “They gave her something to sleep. They won’t tell me much other than she’s okay. I’m with her now though. Me and Gabe. The hospital went through her phone and called because she had no ID.”</p>
<p>“Oh gods!” He could hear the jangle of keys. “Which hospital?”</p>
<p>“Mipha’s Grace. Bring her ID. Just go into the ER and they’ll tell you her room. Or call my phone and I’ll just bring you to her.”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>The phone beeped in his ear as the signal cut out. Link took a breath and watched Zelda.</p>
<p>What was the one thing she wanted more than anything else? What more could he do for her?</p>
<p>He bit his lip and scrolled through her phone before tapping on a name and holding the phone to his ear.</p>
<p>The line rang and rang until there was a brief click. <em>“Hi, you’ve reached the office of Arina Harkinian. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”</em></p>
<p>Link cursed and hung up, scrolling a little further. He tried again. <em>“Hi there, you’ve reached the personal phone number of Arina Harkinian. I’m probably in a meeting, so please leave a brief message and I’ll get back to you.”</em></p>
<p>“Fucking hell,” Link muttered, hanging up again, scrolling a little more in her contacts and tried again. And it rang and rang. <em>“This is the office of Ramus Harkinian. I’m not available at the moment but your call is important to me. Please leave your name, number, and the reason for your call and I’ll call you back as soon as possible.”</em></p>
<p>No wonder Zelda felt frustrated. It wasn’t even like Link was calling from a strange number; it was their estranged daughter’s phone. Suddenly, he realized why <em>he </em>was one of her emergency contacts, and not her parents. With his next shot, he tried her father’s personal phone. And was unsurprisingly met with: <em>“Hello, you’ve reached the voice mailbox of Ramus Harkinian. Please leave your message after the beep.”</em></p>
<p>Link shoved the phone into his pocket and went up to Gabe. “Makeela is on her way over. She has Zelda’s ID. Looks like she left it at Makeela’s house and was headed back to get it when she got into the accident.”</p>
<p>Gabe noticed Link’s different posture and crossed his arms. “What else?”</p>
<p>Shoving his hands into his pockets to feel at her phone, Link sighed. “I tried calling her parents. Do you think that’s a terrible idea? Should I keep trying them?”</p>
<p>“Do you think she’d want them here?”</p>
<p>“I do. And if they’re not here and she finds out I called, I don’t know if she’ll forgive them. Should I erase the calls on her phone?”</p>
<p>“Every family is different. I don’t know the right answer, but I think you do.”</p>
<p>“I’ve never had to do this before.”</p>
<p>Gabe rested a hand on Link’s shoulder, both of them watching Zelda’s wrist being wrapped up and then braced. It wasn’t a cast that anyone could sign, which had him at least hopeful that it might be off faster than the other kind would have been.  </p>
<p>“No, you haven’t. But you’re doing good. No matter what, you’re doing good. Maybe I’ll make <em>you</em> my emergency contact too.”</p>
<p>Link snorted and swallowed hard. “Who <em>is </em>yours?”</p>
<p>“My brother. You know where his number is in the shop, right?”</p>
<p>“I do. Pip does too.”</p>
<p>“Well, let’s hope you don’t need to use it. Though, he does like to donate money, so use it if you ever need to fundraise or something.”</p>
<p>Chuckling, Link crossed his arms tightly across himself. His smile fell as he watched Zelda and the doctor. “She’s not Mikau.”</p>
<p>“No, she’s not.”</p>
<p>Fisting his hair again, Link groaned. “I need a cigarette.”</p>
<p>“Don’t we all?”</p>
<p>Link’s hand climbed up his arm to rest on the patch beneath the fabric of his shirt, tracing its outline absently.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what to do.”</p>
<p>“You will, Link. If you want a cigarette, if you want to call her parents… you’ll know what to do as soon as you go to do it.”</p>
<p>Shifting from foot to foot, Link let out a long sigh.</p>
<p>Gabe threw his arm around Link’s neck comfortingly. “Adulting is fun, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, <em>so</em> fun.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>FIRST OFF: I'M ON VACATION!!!! THAT MEANS I CAN WRITE MORE!! THANK GOD OMG I'M SO READY FOR THIS!! But of course, I immediately got sick, so you know, there's always a trade off I guess! ANYWAY SECOND: I should have the next chapter before Christmas Eve because I AM ON VACATION (I'll stop now, I'm just so pumped), but this chapter ended up being too long, so I stopped and split it. Basically, you got two cliffhangers in a row! Sorry not sorry! THIRD: I was going to finish this chapter last night, but I fell asleep at 8pm after finishing the Mandalorian. I don't remember the last time I fell asleep at 8pm. I am an insomniac who goes to bed at 4-5am. IT WAS CRAZY!!! Anyway, thank you for listening to my rambling!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0047"><h2>47. Chapter 47</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“Hi, you’ve reached the office of Arina Harkinian. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hi there, you’ve reached the personal phone number of Arina Harkinian. I’m probably in a meeting, so please leave a brief message and I’ll get back to you.”</em>
</p>
<p> <em>“This is the office of Ramus Harkinian. I’m not available at the moment but your call is important to me. Please leave your name, number, and the reason for your call and I’ll call you back as soon as possible.”</em></p>
<p>
  <em>“Hello, you’ve reached the voice mailbox of Ramus Harkinian. Please leave your message after the beep.”</em>
</p>
<p>“By the fucking Goddess,” Link snapped, tossing both phones onto the chair. He’d put their numbers into his phone and was calling two at a time now, both unsuccessfully. He’d left messages on each phone, and now was simply calling back every few minutes.</p>
<p>“They’ll see all your calls,” Makeela said from the chair across from Link. She’d arrived not long ago, spiraled into a similar panic as Link had, and proceeded to beg the doctors for any more information, which they denied for privacy reasons. Now, she and Link had settled into a restless-but-nothing-to-do state of anxiety.</p>
<p>Gabe had moved to the waiting room in the front lobby when the nurse had asked that only two people remain in the room for now. But Link kept him informed each time the doctor so much as looked into the room, texting him constant updates.</p>
<p>Link shoved the phones back into his pocket and brushed his hand through Zelda’s hair. “This ever happened to her before?”</p>
<p>“Not a car accident. I mean, they won’t even tell us if something caused it. Did she swerve? Did she get hit? How is that private patient health information?” Makeela leaned back and let out an angry sigh. “I guess it could be worse. She could be dead.”</p>
<p>Link froze for a moment before reminding himself to breathe. He huffed a noise that agreed with her. Yes, that would be worse.</p>
<p>That pain in his shoulder radiated throughout him again, and he had to sit back to press his back into the chair. It made him more anxious, and he pulled the phones out again, dialing one parent on each phone.</p>
<p>“I told Pipit and Ilia what happened,” Makeela said, talking over the ringing lines.</p>
<p>Link hung up as both got to the answering machines, and switched to their work phones, calling both again. “At least <em>they</em> answered.”</p>
<p>“They did. They both wanted to come by, but I told them about the visitor thing.”</p>
<p>“Maybe when she’s home, she might want to see everyone.”</p>
<p>Makeela leaned forward, nodding to the phone. “You going to take her back to your place, or bring her to her parents’?”</p>
<p>Link sighed and hung both phones up again: answering machines. “She’ll be able to decide when she wakes up. She’s going to wake up, they said.”</p>
<p>Makeela pulled her legs up, resting them under her chin. “You know, the first time I saw her pass out was like this. I thought she was going to die, and she had to keep reminding me that she was fine after.”</p>
<p>Eyes widening, Link leaned forward. “She passed out. That’s why they can’t tell us. It’s medical, and it’s why she crashed. It’s got to be. She passed out while driving. They did scans and bloodwork as soon as she got in, so that must have been it.”</p>
<p>“To see if she was drunk?”</p>
<p>“Just to see what happened at all.”</p>
<p>“So you don’t think the car skidded from the snow or anything?”</p>
<p>“No, I don’t.”</p>
<p>Nurse Celia came in to check Zelda’s monitors, and gave them both a smug look, one that seemed to imply that they might have been right. Of course, it was just a look.</p>
<p>“Her numbers are looking good,” Celia said, hoping to alleviate both their fears. “She’s lucky to have you both.”</p>
<p>After checking a few more things, Celia left with a promise to return again soon.</p>
<p>Link grabbed both phones, trying again while Makeela watched.</p>
<p>“Zelda, darling—”</p>
<p>Link’s eyes widened at the voice on the other end. He hastily tossed the other phone at Makeela and stood up, pacing as Arina’s voice answered the phone “—I know we haven’t spoken in so long, and I’m so sorry but—”</p>
<p>“—No, it’s—”</p>
<p>“—I’m in the most important meeting I’ve ever been in. I swear, darling, I’ll call you right back.”</p>
<p>“—No! Mrs. Harkinian—”</p>
<p>“Who is this?”</p>
<p>“It’s Link. Mrs. Harkinian—”</p>
<p>“Who?”</p>
<p>Link let out a deep breath. “It’s Zelda’s boyfriend. Listen, I need to talk—”</p>
<p>“Why do you have Zelda’s phone? Are you the one who’s been calling me this whole time? And here I thought it was all spam. Listen, Link, I can’t speak right now. If you need money, we’ll talk after—”</p>
<p>“Zelda’s in the hospital!” Link silently cursed for blurting it out, but a larger part of him didn’t care. She needed to know.</p>
<p>“What?” Arina asked after a long silence.</p>
<p>“She’s okay, but she’s in the hospital.”</p>
<p>“Put her on the phone. Now.”</p>
<p>“I can’t. The doctors gave her something to help her sleep. I’ve been trying to get ahold of you and Mr. Harkinian for a while to let you know.”</p>
<p>He could hear shuffling and slamming on the other end of the phone. “What happened?”</p>
<p>“They won’t tell us details, but it sounds like she might have passed out while driving and ended up in an accident.”</p>
<p>“Oh gods, hang on, Link. I’m going to get Ramus on the line. Wait, where is she?”</p>
<p>“Mipha’s Grace Hospital.”</p>
<p>“Okay, stay on the line, Link. You said you couldn’t get ahold of his office?”</p>
<p>“Or his cell.”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>The line went silent, and Link checked to make sure he was just on hold before glancing at Makeela. “She’s getting ahold of him somehow.”</p>
<p>“Perks.”</p>
<p>Link made a face and sat back in his chair beside Zelda. It was a solid few minutes before the line clicked back on.</p>
<p>“Link, are you still there?” Arina asked.</p>
<p>“I am.”</p>
<p>“Tell me what happened!” Ramus asked, sounding distinctly out of breath.</p>
<p>“Ramus, I already told you! Link, where are you exactly? Ramus will be there first. I’m a little further away.”</p>
<p>“You’re both coming?” Link couldn’t help but ask. “Uh, we’re in the emergency department.”</p>
<p>“Who brought her there? You? Were you in the car with her?” Ramus sounded <em>more</em> out of breath, and Link had a feeling he might even be running.</p>
<p>“An ambulance. I was at work. They called me when they went through her phone.”</p>
<p>“That can’t be legal,” Arina muttered.</p>
<p>“No, no,” Link interjected. “She forgot her wallet at Makeela’s and was on her way back to get it when the accident happened.”</p>
<p>“She’s staying at Makeela’s now? Not your house?”</p>
<p>“No, she’s still with me. She was just there to hang out.”</p>
<p>“Gods-damned elevator!” Arina muttered into the phone. “Link, my phone will be on, I swear. Call me if she wakes up before I get there or if anything at all changes. I want to know immediately.”</p>
<p>“Yes, ma’am.”</p>
<p>“Same here, Link. I’ll be there in about ten minutes. Don’t hesitate to call.”</p>
<p>“Yes, sir.”</p>
<p>Both hung up at the same time.</p>
<p>Link lowered the phone from his ear, completely surprised. “They’re both coming. Sounds like her mom even left ‘the most important meeting of her life.’ Are you as surprised as I am?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Makeela admitted, handing Link his phone back. “They’ve always been busy, and I’ve seen them miss a lot of things. I’ve even seen them miss her being sick because they were too distracted.”</p>
<p>“And you think this was the right call? Getting them here?”</p>
<p>“I do. Even today, she was talking about how much she misses them.”</p>
<p>Link leaned back, taking Zelda’s hand again. “Parents, man. Are yours this crazy too?”</p>
<p>Makeela chuckled. “No, I can’t say they are. Yours?”</p>
<p>A light grin settled over Link’s face. “I mean, they were. Aryll’s not. Not in the typical way, anyway. She is my sister though, so I feel some level of craziness emanating off of her all the time, just on principle.”</p>
<p>“And you never see your parents?”</p>
<p>Link looked up at her, a confused look crossing his face. “No?”</p>
<p>“Oh, gods, are they dead? I’m so sorry!”</p>
<p>Looking from Zelda to Makeela, Link couldn’t help the confusion that was etching his features. “Did Zelda never actually tell you what happened?”</p>
<p>“No. I mean, obviously I know you live with your sister, but she never told me what happened to your parents. She said it wasn’t her story to tell, so I didn’t push her.”</p>
<p>Link scoffed, surprised. “I always assumed you knew. I mean, I told her when we weren’t <em>that </em>close, so I never expected her to keep it from you for my sake.”</p>
<p>“She’s too good,” Makeela laughed.</p>
<p>“Too good for the both of us,” he chuckled, squeezing Zelda’s hand. “Um, no, my mom left us when I was young, and my dad is in jail.”</p>
<p>Pausing for a moment, Makeela shrugged. “She <em>did </em>tell me why you were in jail. I was concerned.”</p>
<p>Link let out another small laughed and nodded. “It’s fine. I always figured she’d tell you.”</p>
<p>“I know we were all pretty awful to you when you two became friends, but I’m glad you toughed us out.”</p>
<p>“You were fine. It was more Revali, Ruto, Ravio, the ‘R’ squad, really.”</p>
<p>Makeela snorted and made herself comfortable. “The ‘R squad.’”</p>
<p>They sat together for a while, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Zelda’s parents. They’d already agreed that Link would reluctantly leave first to keep the space to two people, especially since Ramus and Arina both liked Makeela.</p>
<p>Link spent a solid few minutes tracing an absentminded path along the back of Zelda’s hand before tracing the lines down to her palm.</p>
<p>Then he felt it.</p>
<p>Her fingers moved against his.</p>
<p>It wasn’t enough for him to call it a grab, nor was it small enough for him to think he’d imagined it.</p>
<p>“Zelda?”</p>
<p>Makeela’s eyes shot up, and they both leaned forward.</p>
<p>Her hand moved first, this time, her fingers trying to draw his nearer. He grabbed her more securely and brushed his other hand through her hair. “Zelda?”</p>
<p>This time, he watched her visibly swallow before blinking her eyes open, narrow slits that betrayed her desire to fall right back asleep, but awake all the same.</p>
<p>“Link?” she muttered, trying to focus her blurry vision.</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s me. Makeela’s here too.”</p>
<p>“What happened?” Zelda whispered, moving her other hand up to feel her head and stilling when she saw the cast. “Last I remember, I was in my car and then there was the ambulance after… gods…” Her lip began to wobble, “I don’t remember getting here from there.”</p>
<p>Makeela hopped off her chair. “I’ll get the nurse!”</p>
<p>“You’re okay. We’ve got you covered,” Link said, squeezing her hand.</p>
<p>Zelda groaned and ran her other hand along the tubes that were taped to the back of her wrist, a clunky motion thanks to the cast. “I hate needles.”</p>
<p>Link leaned forward and kissed her forehead, brushing her hair back again and again. “I’d pull them out for you, but I think they’d probably call security on me.”</p>
<p>“Maybe don’t do that then,” she said with a light grimace and a short chuckle before it faded. “I’m so tired.”</p>
<p>“They gave you something to sleep when you came in, so I think it’s wearing off. Nurse Celia will tell you more though. They wouldn’t tell me much.”</p>
<p>“How’d you know I was here? You didn’t find me, right? Oh, gods, please say you didn’t have to find me on the road.”</p>
<p>“No,” Link said, forcing a comforting smile to his face. If he’d had to see her in a smoking car, airbag deployed, head on the steering wheel, any of it really, he might have died a bit inside. Or possibly had a heart attack then and there. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to go through that again. Even the one fender bender he’d been in since the accident had sent him into a wheezing panic. “No, they called Makeela and I from your phone. You left your wallet at her house, so they didn’t have your ID right away.”</p>
<p>Zelda tilted her head back and pressed her hand to her forehead, stressed. “I’m so sorry.”</p>
<p>“Why are <em>you</em> sorry?”</p>
<p>She looked away from him. “Because… car accident. You must have been sick.”</p>
<p>“Oh fuck, Zelda, please.” Link didn’t know whether to be sorry to Zelda, or angry with himself for making <em>that</em>one of the first thoughts in her mind. “Don’t ever be sorry.”</p>
<p>He was about to say more, but Makeela and Nurse Celia came in.</p>
<p>“Hey hon, good to see you’re up. Are you in pain?”</p>
<p>“Not much.”</p>
<p>“Okay, then I’d like to ask you a few questions if that’s okay?”</p>
<p>And though Celia was about to kick Link and Makeela out, Zelda insisted they could stay and hear.</p>
<p>After answering all the base questions: name, birthday, year; they let her explain what happened.</p>
<p>“I just started to feel sick, but I thought it was just hunger or something. And I was going to stop for a donut, but I didn’t have my wallet. So, as I was going back to Makeela’s house to get it, I just saw a ton of black around my vision. And I don’t know how I turned the wheel, if it was an accident, or on purpose trying to pull over, but I must have hit the gas as I was starting to drift out. I passed out, but I woke up when I felt the impact, and the airbag hit me so hard, I thought it was the wheel at first. Then I passed out again.”</p>
<p>Nurse Celia pulled out lab results and scans, explaining that her arm appeared to have been caught between her and the airbag, pushing her wrist backwards. And her results were consistent with her stories. Lowered levels of this and that, things that Link tried to take mental notes of so he could look them up later. No traces of alcohol in her system, which didn’t surprise her in the least. Questionable vitals, though when they’d gotten her chart, it was more understandable given her medical history.</p>
<p>They wanted to observe her head, since it appeared she might have had a concussion from the impact forward into the airbag, and backwards into the seat all with her dead weight as she passed out.</p>
<p>Celia was running some new tests, specifically checking her blood pressure, cuff around her arm, when there was a commotion out in the main lobby of the ER.</p>
<p>The arrival of Ramus Harkinian was heard throughout the entire floor.</p>
<p>“Where is Zelda? Zelda Harkinian? Eighteen-year-old female, car accident!”</p>
<p>Link’s eyes widened, and he popped out of the curtained room to wave him over and hopefully silence his outburst.</p>
<p>“Link!” Ramus huffed, hurrying inside and grabbing Link by the arm with him. “Tell me what happened.”</p>
<p>“Someone else can tell you,” he said, stepping aside.</p>
<p>Zelda looked over at them, and her eyes bugged out. “Dad?”</p>
<p>“Oh gods, Zelda! You’re alright!”</p>
<p>Zelda glanced at Link, tears brimming on her eyes. She shook her head: a question.</p>
<p>“Oh, I might have called your parents.”</p>
<p>Smiling, Zelda turned her attention to her father. “Did you leave work, or is it late?”</p>
<p>“Your mother is on her way too, but we were both at work. She had a meeting out of town, so she’ll be here soon. Are you okay?” He turned to Celia. “Is she okay?” Then to Link. “She’s okay, right?”</p>
<p>“I’m okay, dad.”</p>
<p>Link stepped back with Makeela. “I’ll be right outside,” he said, gesturing to her father. Zelda seemed to understand his hesitation to be in the same room and nodded at him. So, Link ducked out, needing some space to clear his head.</p>
<p>He left the ER and sat on the concrete steps just outside, relishing the air and the breeze.</p>
<p>Alone, it was all too easy for everything to creep back up, for it to all hit him at once. And without Zelda to focus on, he could feel everything inside him flip and spiral as thoughts of his own father and Mikau invaded his mind.</p>
<p>He could see Mikau lying in the wreck, eyes wide. He never knew if this was a vision he’d conjured whenever he imagined that day, or if it was a memory of what he’d really seen, but it was something he’d seen in his mind far too often to feel settled. And now, he could see Zelda beside him, blank stare and bloodied. Bruised like she was.</p>
<p>Link covered his face in his hands, groaning. And when he pulled away, he could feel his fingers wet with more tears.</p>
<p>“Fuck,” he muttered to himself.</p>
<p>“You okay?” He looked up to see Makeela moving to sit beside him. “I figured I’d give them some time alone.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, just thinking about Mikau and Zelda.”</p>
<p>“Mik… who?”</p>
<p>“Mikau,” Link said, looking at her, puzzled. But his expression softened as he chuckled. “She didn’t tell you that either?”</p>
<p>“Like I said, she doesn’t tell me things that are just between you guys.”</p>
<p>He wiped his eyes and sat back, taking a deep breath as he played with the patch on his arm, more and more desperate to rip it off and grab a pack of cigarettes from the convenient store just down the street.</p>
<p>“He was my best friend. Pipit knew him, too. Not as well, but he did. And he died in a car accident that my dad caused while drunk. I was in it, too. Got hurt, but I survived. My dad survived but got jail. And Mikau didn’t make it. I was… maybe fifteen at the time? I can’t even think right now. Fifteen sounds right.”</p>
<p>“Oh, gods, Link, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. But Zelda does, obviously?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I told her… man, before our first date? Seems so long ago now. Anyway, I don’t have a lot of memories from the accident.” He fiddled with the patch again. “So, I just keep thinking of them. I look at her and I see what could have happened.”</p>
<p>“Aww, Link,” Makeela said, resting her head on his shoulder. “That sucks.”</p>
<p>Link chuckled again and wrapped an arm around her. “Yeah. But Zelda’s okay. I just need to keep reminding myself of that.”</p>
<p>Makeela stood up and pushed Link’s head playfully. “Best way to do that is to be in there with her. Come on, let’s go. If her dad gets on you, we’ll have your back.”</p>
<p>Link brushed himself off and nodded. His arm itched, but he ignored it and grabbed his phone from his pocket. “I’ll let Gabe know and then call Zelda’s mom to tell her she’s awake then meet you inside.”</p>
<p>“Okay!” she said, returning through the doors.</p>
<p>Link leaned against the building, running his hands along his face before looking at his screen, a picture of him and Zelda. He let the breeze hit his face for a long moment, staring at the screen, before he finally called Gabe.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, I JUST realized that I haven't wrapped a single present, so that ending is a little anticlimactic, but you know what, Zelda woke up lol!!! <br/>HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! OKAY! GOTTA GO WRAP!! NOT RAP! THOUGH I MIGHT AS WELL GO DO BOTH!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0048"><h2>48. Chapter 48</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Link had forgotten just how intense Zelda’s parents were.</p>
<p>As soon as Ramus had been assured of—and filled in on— Zelda’s health, he’d gone straight to the nurses’ station and begun demanding that Zelda be moved to a private room for the night, especially when they said they wanted to monitor her for a few hours. They said it wasn’t necessary, and that she could leave as soon as they were pleased that she wasn’t getting worse.</p>
<p>One sizable donation later, and Zelda was in a private room on another floor.</p>
<p>Gabe visited her to see that she was okay, but didn’t want to overwhelm her, so he said goodbye when Makeela promised to give Link a ride home. Ramus had gone down to meet Arina, and Makeela had gone to the vending machine near the elevator.</p>
<p>“Do you regret me calling them?” Link asked, sitting on the bed beside her, watching some poorly acted soap opera quietly playing in the background.</p>
<p>Zelda tugged Link closer and leaned her head against his shoulder as he made himself comfortable, dangling his feet over to the side to avoid his shoes on the blanket, and shifted as much of his weight into her on the small bed.</p>
<p>“No. It was so nice to see my dad here. And my mom’s coming. You know, my dad hugged me. I can’t remember the last time he did that. It was so nice for a change. Have they spoken to you yet?”</p>
<p>Link scoffed. “Not really, thankfully. I’ve already braced myself though, so don’t worry.”</p>
<p>“You could say ‘hello’ and they’d find a way to take offence. They don’t know you.”</p>
<p>“Maybe your father has a secret past that only your mom knows. Like, he was me, kind of thing.”</p>
<p>Zelda laughed and wrapped her arm around his. “You think you’re a writer for <em>Moonlight Howl</em> now?”</p>
<p>Link gestured at the show on the television. “Maybe this show. Not a gem like<em> Moonlight Howl </em>though.”</p>
<p>Turning to Link, Zelda’s eyes widened playfully. “<em>You’re</em> a gem, Link.”</p>
<p>He chuckled and shook his head. “Don’t say that in front of your parents. They’ll think it’s code and kill me.”</p>
<p>“Start calling me ‘babe.’ They’ll love that.”</p>
<p>“Fed up with ‘Princess?’” Link tried to control the smile that spread over his face, but the endeavor failed the more he spoke. “You know I’d face your parents for you, babe?” He punctuated the word with a kiss that had her heart rhythm beeping faster on the machine. “I’d sit down and take every jab they want to throw at me.” He kissed her again, and smirked into her as he heard the beeping increase still. “But I will never call you anything other than Zelda in front of them.” He pressed his lips to hers again, though this time was playful, and had Zelda laughing.</p>
<p>“Ew!” Makeela muttered, walking into the room with a Keese Krunch Chocolate Bar with roasted chickaloo nuts in her hand that she tossed at Link. She pulled a second one from her pocket. “Not what I expected to see coming in here.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Link said, peeling the chocolate and eating it.</p>
<p>He felt Zelda’s eyes on him, shooting daggers as he and Makeela maliciously ate the candy next to her when she was currently only allowed Chuchu Jell-o. The green kind, she’d requested. But the taste was nothing in comparison.</p>
<p>Link glanced at the door and then again at her big sad eyes before handing it to her. “Listen,” he said, poking her nose. “You better not need to get rushed to surgery. Do not pass out again while this chocolate is in your system.”</p>
<p>“I won’t!” she laughed. “Give!”</p>
<p>“Zelda!” Makeela scolded, though she laughed and did nothing to stop her.</p>
<p>Zelda closed her eyes and let out a long hum as she chewed. “Oh gods, this is good.”</p>
<p>Suddenly, they could hear Zelda’s parents’ voices ringing though the hall, asking a nurse something that no one could make out.</p>
<p>Zelda shoved the rest of the candy into her mouth in a panic and threw the wrapper onto Link’s lap.</p>
<p>“They’ll see you eating something!” Link hissed, panicking. He sighed and reached for the Chuchu Jell-o, ripped open the plastic cover, and took a large bite before handing the spoon to Zelda. The face he made at the sour taste was priceless, and Zelda began to laugh.</p>
<p>“Don’t choke!” Makeela warned.</p>
<p>Zelda cleared her throat and reached for the water, swallowing the chocolate as quickly as she could before she took the plastic cup from Link’s hands.</p>
<p>He grimaced. “I want you to know how much I love you, because I fucking <em>hate</em> green Chuchu Jell-o.”</p>
<p>Zelda took his hand, squeezing tight. “Thanks, babe.”</p>
<p>Link snorted and nudged his shoulder into hers. Makeela looked on in amusement, though she realized that there was some joke she was missing.</p>
<p>Just then, Zelda’s parents burst through the doorway.</p>
<p>They stopped at the sight of Link on the bed, laughing with Zelda, but he quickly hopped off and grabbed the candy bar wrapper, tucking it into his pocket as he stepped away.</p>
<p>Their eyes were on him for a moment before they both turned to Zelda. Arina wrapped her arms around Zelda, muttering something into Zelda’s ear.</p>
<p>Link watched on with curiosity as Zelda stroked her mother’s hair and started soothing <em>her, </em>wondering what words were passing between them. But neither of them acknowledged Link, especially when he shrank himself into the corner and stayed quiet, only earning a silent and empathetic ‘sorry’ from Zelda that he had to sign, “<em>Please stop apologizing,” </em>to her just for her to stop.</p>
<p>Instead, much of her parents’ attention was on Makeela, questioning her about what Zelda had been doing at her house. And as much as Link hated seeing Makeela under their intense scrutiny, another part of him breathed out a sigh that it wasn’t him they were interrogating. Again.</p>
<p>Out of sight, out of mind, he figured. It was a good tactic.</p>
<p>Until he heard his name.</p>
<p>“—but Link answered since they got ahold of him first.”</p>
<p>He closed his eyes for a moment to brace himself before turning to the four pairs of eyes now on him.</p>
<p>“Why didn’t they contact me?” Arina asked, looking first to Link, who shrugged, and then to Zelda, who gave her a bland look, as if to remind her that she’d been passed out. So, Arina’s eyes flickered to Link. “Why didn’t <em>you </em>contact me immediately?”</p>
<p>“I tried, ma’am. I tried to get ahold of both of you for the longest time.”</p>
<p>Arina looked around and grabbed a napkin from under Zelda’s Jell-o and took a pen from her blazer pocket before jotting something down. She thrust it at Link. “Keep that number in your phone. It’s my secretary. She can get ahold of me no matter what, but only use it in emergencies.”</p>
<p>Link grabbed his phone and nodded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see anything like this in Zelda’s phone.”</p>
<p>Zelda leaned forward. “Because she’s just Cremia in my phone. It’s not ‘mom’s work’ or anything. You wouldn’t have known, so don’t worry.”</p>
<p>After typing the information in, Link set the napkin back down and kept his eyes on the floor. He could feel the air get tighter as they watched him, unsure what to do or say in his presence.</p>
<p>After all, he was the one who stole their daughter.</p>
<p>He could feel that more than ever. He knew them well enough by now to know that before they left this room, they were going to try to convince Zelda to return home.</p>
<p>And after a few hours of sitting in completely tense silence, watching the horribly acted show on the television, they did just as Link predicted.</p>
<p>“Zelda, darling,” Arina started, sitting on the bed beside her. “Don’t you think it might be beneficial if you were to convalesce at home? Your bed is bigger, your room is bigger. You’d have the entire house, and there’s more food in the refrigerator.”</p>
<p>Link rolled his eyes and leaned his head back as he listened.</p>
<p>“Mom, please, leave it alone.”</p>
<p>“No! I want my daughter to recuperate in the comfort of her own home.”</p>
<p>Resting her head in her hands, she felt her temples begin to throb. She was not interested in this fight again. And a glance at Link told her that he was feeling exceptionally uncomfortable by the veiled insults her mother threw his way yet again.</p>
<p>Arina followed Zelda’s eye’s and sighed. “Link is welcome to visit of course. And Link, I’m very grateful that you’ve been caring for Zelda this whole time, but perhaps Zelda’s return home would benefit her physically, and you financially.”</p>
<p>Link bit his lip and ran his hand through his hair. “Zelda contributes to everything. I haven’t been ‘caring for’ her as if she’s incapable.”</p>
<p>Arina jerked her head back and gestured to Zelda. “I’m aware that she’s not incapable, but as I remember it, you have more than one job and she has an intern-level job. Therefore, you make more money and my point stands.”</p>
<p>“Link,” Zelda said. “Leave it. Please, Link.”</p>
<p>Unlike her mother had, Link nodded and returned his glare to the floor, as much as he wanted to keep talking, to prove her mother wrong about her.</p>
<p>But he didn’t need to.</p>
<p>“Mom, I work here. And one day, maybe I’ll work here as a nurse. I’m going to do a job that makes me happy.”</p>
<p>“But it won’t make you money, Zelda. You should at least consider being a doctor. A surgeon, perhaps.”</p>
<p>“A nurse, mom. I don’t want to be a doctor. I want to be a nurse. And I want to stay at Link’s house, especially if you are still refusing to accept that I make my own decisions. I’m deciding not to return home to a large house with no one in it. And I won’t be bullied into working for some big corporation just to make money. Besides, this isn’t the time or place for use to even consider this conversation. I don’t feel good, and I was hoping you’d let me rest for a few hours. All of you.”</p>
<p>“Zelda,” Ramus muttered as he reached out for his daughter’s hand. “Of course. Your mother and I will go grab something to eat at Jabu-Jabu’s Seafood. Want something?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think so,” she shook her head and pulled the blanket up higher. Thank you though.”</p>
<p>“Okay. Arina? I’ll buy. Let’s give her some time to sleep.”</p>
<p>“Fine. Darling, we’ll be back later then. I promise.”</p>
<p>Zelda nodded solemnly, and watched them go.</p>
<p>Makeela stepped towards the bed. “Okay. I’ll text you—”</p>
<p>“Oh no, I didn’t mean you two. You can stay. If you want. You can go if you’ve had enough of this place. I know I have.”</p>
<p>Link chuckled and sat back down, Makeela taking the space beside him. “Neat trick.”</p>
<p>Zelda made a face and turned to Link. “I’m still glad you called them, but they’re good in short doses. Thank you for trying to defend me to my mom, but she just won’t hear any voice that isn’t hers. It’s not even worth bothering with.”</p>
<p>“It’s worth bothering for your sake,” Link grumbled.</p>
<p>There was a loud chatter in the hallway, laughter. Well, Zelda thought as her head whipped to the doorway, <em>that</em> wasn’t going to be her parents.</p>
<p>But someone did come through her door, a tray of food in hand and a forced smile on his face.</p>
<p>Komali.</p>
<p>He stopped and looked at her. Bruised face, torn lip, arm in a cast. He just barely hid his grimace. “So it’s true then.”</p>
<p>“True?” Zelda echoed, though her smile was real upon seeing him.</p>
<p>“I heard Impa on the phone in the cafeteria, and then I got your room number.” He set the food down in front of her. It was a sandwich and a drink, nothing too special, probably in case he’d been wrong. “Are you okay? I didn’t hear what happened. You didn’t get… <em>hurt</em> right?”</p>
<p>Komali’s eyes darted to Link and offered him a quick smile, devoid of any actual emotion, just politeness. Link returned it with as much enthusiasm.</p>
<p>“I mean, it was a car accident,” Zelda said and waved her cast around. “I did get hurt. But nothing too serious.”</p>
<p>“Oh, thank the Goddesses! I’m glad. And was Luke with you?”</p>
<p>Link snorted and bit his lip. Gods, this kid was frustrating. “No, I wasn’t.”</p>
<p>Zelda rolled her eyes. “It’s ‘Link’, not ‘Luke.’”</p>
<p>“Oh, sorry.” Decidedly <em>not</em> sorry. “That’s good though. I’m glad you weren’t hurt as well.” He turned back to Zelda. “Are you staying here for long, or are you going home?”</p>
<p>“I think I’m going home in the morning. My dad basically bought me a room here for the night, which is awful, and then I’m going back to Link’s.” She turned and shot him a smile.</p>
<p>“Oh,” Komali said quickly, looking away from Zelda. He ended up staring at Makeela. “Are you okay?” he asked, as if needing to keep the conversation going.</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“Good, good.”</p>
<p>Zelda leaned forward and grabbed the drink off the tray. “Thank you for this. How much do I owe you?”</p>
<p>“On the house.”</p>
<p>She twisted the lid and took a swig of the drink before setting it back down. “Still cold. Perfect. Thank you so much for bringing it up. And I’ll be back to bother you on my breaks soon!”</p>
<p>“You’re never a bother,” Komali said, taking a few steps towards the door. “I do have to get back though. I’ll see you whenever you come back in.”</p>
<p>“Okay. See you then. Get better, Zelda.”</p>
<p>Komali left the room, the sound of his retreating footsteps echoing in the silence for a while.</p>
<p>It was only when they were sure he was gone that Makeela let out a laugh, one she’d been holding in. “Oh gods! That was so painful! He loves you, Zelda!” She nudged Link’s shoulder. “You’ve got competition!”</p>
<p>“You don’t have competition, Link,” Zelda said, throwing the cap to her drink at Makeela.</p>
<p>Link grabbed the cap before Makeela could pick it up, and he spun it in his hands. “Do I need to up my game, Zel? I can bring you two drinks.”</p>
<p>“Shut up, both of you! He’s a friend!” She couldn’t even say it with a straight face. “Okay, he’s a friend with a little crush on me. But I’ve squashed it! I can’t be any more clear to him that I’m with Link, and it’s not like you can stop having a crush on someone just because you want to stop. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dated Link!”</p>
<p>He snorted and tossed the cap back at her. “Thanks, Princess.”</p>
<p>“You know what I mean! Everyone was like ‘oh, he’s so bad! He’s a criminal! He’s an arsonist!’ And I didn’t plan on liking you, but you made it so easy! The day you gave me your jacket, I was just doomed. There was no escape.” She laughed as she re-capped the drink and pushed the tray away from the bed.</p>
<p>Link hopped off the radiator and joined her on the bed again. “Nope. No getting rid of you now!”</p>
<p>Zelda scooted closer to Link and patted the other side of the bed. “Come on, Makeela! You’re stuck too!”</p>
<p>Makeela rolled her eyes and crashed down on the other side. There was a loud creak, and all three froze for a moment before they felt stable again. “The nurse is going to come in here and kill us.”</p>
<p>Zelda shrugged. “Oh well. Turn up the volume, Link. I can’t reach the controls now.”</p>
<p>“Gods, I wish this was <em>Moonlight Howl,</em>” Link groaned as he contorted his arm to reach the dangling remote. But he didn’t turn it up. Instead, he turned to Makeela. “Are you and Pipit going out this weekend?”</p>
<p>Makeela’s face turned bright red and she suddenly looked really interested in the show. “I don’t know. You know what, we should all get together on Sunday for <em>Moonlight Howl</em>. I’ll bet Amalia is going to flip this week when she sees what Castor did.”</p>
<p>Zelda started to chuckle. “Yeah, we can definitely do that! And you can both tell us all about your date!”</p>
<p>Whining, Makeela gestured to the remote. “Turn it up. I can’t hear.”</p>
<p>Link turned up the volume and started cracking up.</p>
<p><em>“Anju,” </em>a purple haired man said, grabbing the woman’s hand as he stared into her eyes oh-so dramatically. “<em>We can grab a cup of coffee. It doesn’t have to be a real date. But it can be.”</em></p>
<p><em>“Oh, Kafei!” </em>she’d exclaimed. <em>“I’ve been waiting long enough for you to ask me that! Of course I’ll go on a date with you!”</em></p>
<p>“Gods…” Makeela groaned as she sank further into the pillow while Link and Zelda just laughed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I intended to have this chapter done before the new year, but then I binged every Pirates of the Caribbean movie plus rewatched the first two seasons of Black Sails, and then started a Zelink Pirate AU fic instead. Whoops.</p>
<p>BUT HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! HERE'S TO 2021 BEING BETTER THAN 2020! I feel like there's a joke in there somewhere about hindsight being 2020, but I just can't see it right now...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0049"><h2>49. Chapter 49</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The hospital had been more than okay with releasing Zelda that next morning. They hadn’t even believed she’d needed to stay that long once all her test results had come back clean. But it had been at her parents’ insistence that she stay there.</p>
<p>Her parents had a way of working people into submission, grinding teeth until someone relented. Donating money, presenting facts. It was why they were so good at their jobs. And it was how Zelda ended up in bed in her at house several days after leaving the hospital.</p>
<p>She’d agreed to come back a few times a week, but to primarily stay with Link. She’d also promised to spend the first few days entirely at home so they could see she was well again. It seemed a fair compromise to get them off her back, and Link was allowed back in the house to appease her.</p>
<p>And though her parents had hovered near her for the first few days, by the weekend, they had returned to work—overtime to make up for the time they’d taken off to stay home with her.</p>
<p>Monday, the sound of Link’s motorcycle had her rousing from her bed where she was working on a paper she’d gotten an extension on. She hadn’t been back at school since, and no one at school seemed to pressure her to return after ending up in the hospital.</p>
<p>She heard the thud of Link’s footsteps on the stairs, and he easily slid into her room, throwing his bookbag down with a heavy thud on the ground before he faceplanted her bed.</p>
<p>“This thing is so comfortable,” he muttered into the mattress.</p>
<p>Zelda lifted the shoulder strap of his bag and grimaced. “What’s in here, rocks?”</p>
<p>“No, half of it is your shit. They made me bring you some homework.”</p>
<p>“Gross,” she said, letting the bag drop again before joining him back on the bed. “How was it?”</p>
<p>He pulled her pillow under his head, clutching it and closing his eyes. “You’re infamous.”</p>
<p>“Great.”</p>
<p>“I had Ilia on the case. You know how she and Makeela think they’re detectives. So, it seems that girl, Navi, is pretty excited that you got hurt because she’s now going to take your spot on the team until your wrist heals. Revali, Sidon, and Darunia were all pretty upset to hear you’d been hurt. Revali was actually really concerned and spoke to me for more than two seconds when he learned it was because you’d passed out. Let me think… Medli and Groose tried to sign to me that they wanted to know how you were, but Groose didn’t even use real signs, so… yeah. Ruto and Ravio didn’t give a fuck. Shocker, they’re assholes.”</p>
<p>Zelda nodded. “I expect nothing less.”</p>
<p>“Mhmm. Chem was miserable without you. Who else is supposed to read our notes out to me while I bang out the formula for something?”</p>
<p>“Shut up.”</p>
<p>He laughed and turned to her, his eyes drifting to her hand in the cast, sobering. “Can we talk?”</p>
<p>“We are talking.”</p>
<p>Link chuckled. “I know. There’s just something I want your opinion on. I don’t think I trust myself making it alone.”</p>
<p>Zelda rolled over so she was facing him, listening intently.</p>
<p>He took a deep breath and shook his head, as if he himself was still confused. “I want to go to UCH. I want it so fucking bad. And I have to make my decision sooner than you will, since mine was early acceptance.”</p>
<p>“Is it the money that’s making you doubt going?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. I mean, the scholarship covers some, but a lot will be out of pocket still. I’ll have to move, so there’s room and board, or an apartment. A meal plan or groceries. Textbooks. Just… a lot. Plus, if I do this, Aryll gets to move in with Collin, which she’s been wanting to do. I’m the only reason she even lives here. And if I move, then I’ll lose my job with Gabe, so that means finding a whole new job or, more likely, two. On top of that, Gabe offered to help. I can’t take his money. I don’t know what to do.”</p>
<p>“If money wasn’t an option, where would you choose? Just the degree program and your happiness.”</p>
<p>“UCH. Mechanical engineering. But then there’s Gabe, and you, and Pip. They’re here, and you’ll be somewhere.”</p>
<p>“No, take us all out of this equation. We’re not in this decision. Gabe would want you to do this, Pipit will be going to school after his gap year, and you and I will be fine. None of us are a part of you making this decision.”</p>
<p>“I know,” he sighed, letting his eyes roll back before closing. “I think I’m going to do it. I’m going to ask him.”</p>
<p>“He’ll be more than happy to help you, you know that.”</p>
<p>“I’m not taking the money though. I’m going to pay every cent back the very second I can.”</p>
<p>“You’ll be starting life without a student loan, Link. Not everyone can say that.”</p>
<p>“I know.” He sighed and threw his arm over his eyes. “This is all so stressful. And that’s the thing, you know? It’s really not. My best friend died, my dad’s in jail, my mother doesn’t want me, and I think that <em>choosing a school</em> is stressful? Fuck that. I have better things to stress about. Like money. It’s childish.”</p>
<p>Zelda let her arm swat lightly against him. “You’re allowed to be stressed about what you seem to think are the little things. Not everything has to be life changing. Like, I was sitting here thinking about how I was supposed to put all the dishes away before dinner so I can, you know, use the dish washer. I’m stressed out now because I haven’t done it. It’s not going to ruin my life, and I’m still allowed to be stressed about it.” She paused, watching his hand instinctively reach up to his arm to scratch where the patch was still pressed into his skin. Zelda reached her good arm over to stop him, threading her fingers through his and letting their hands drop to his chest.</p>
<p>“Do you think I need therapy?” Link asked. It was a rogue thought, one that passed through his mind every so often. He hadn’t been in some time, not since it had been mandated. But he had to admit, it had helped him work through the worst of his problems. And while these weren’t the worst things he’d ever faced, he looked at Zelda and wanted to be as healthy as he could be. He wanted to stop itching his arm, or tapping his leg. He wanted to stop thinking about how easy it would be to grab some more cigarettes and let the anxiety be masked by a haze of smoke.</p>
<p>And he knew that Zelda, the Goddess-given gift from planet perfect, wouldn’t be disappointed if he told her he needed one cigarette, if he ripped off the patch and just gave in. She wouldn’t even hate him if he told her he’d only smoke when the stress got too bad or if he accidently called Pipit ‘Mikau’, even if only in his mind.</p>
<p>He could do it. Only have a cigarette when he thought about whether his parents would have liked Zelda or not. If they’d be proud of his life choices or not. If his mother would have praised him for changing his life, or disowned him for going to jail in the first place. If his father would have stopped drinking to help his son stop smoking.</p>
<p>“Do you think you need therapy?” Zelda asked, turning it around. She’d never say yes or no to a question like that and he knew it.</p>
<p>“The co-pay might be too much.”</p>
<p>“Hey,” she said, moving to turn his face to her. The motion was awkward thanks to her cast; plastic and Velcro rubbed at his chin, but the tips of her fingers managed to reach his cheek, brushing lightly against the skin so he knew exactly where she wanted him to look. She waited until his eyes met hers, though his head turned into her hand, into the light touch she offered. “You’re worth it, Link. If you want to do it, you’re worth more than any copay.”</p>
<p>For a long moment, Link couldn’t do or say anything. There was just a weight her simple words had that held him down, heavy with their meaning. There was a time he’d have fought her on that. But when he finally could speak, it was only to state a simple fact. “I love you.”</p>
<p>She tilted her head and smiled. He wanted to say it again and again just to feel the flutter in his chest that happened every time she smiled at him. “I love you,” she laughed before rolling herself on top of him. He helped support her with her one hand unable to press into the mattress. Her hair tickled his face. “Want me to distract you?”</p>
<p>Link just made a face, one that was intrigued and suspicious all the same. She let her lips hover just over his and took his craning neck and desperate chase as a ‘yes’.</p>
<p>She finally let him kiss her once and quickly before rolling onto his other side, and grabbing his hand. Her thumb pressed into his right wrist and he watched her, confused by the awkward pressure she was applying.</p>
<p>“Are you doing acupressure or something?” he asked with a laugh.</p>
<p>“Shut up,” she muttered, poking around more. Finally, she stopped and nodded. “Trapezium, scaphoid, lunate, triquetral…” her fingers pressed firmly into the small bones in his wrist as she spoke, moving in a clockwise circle. “I always struggle to say this one. Phys… Pie… something form. Then hamate, capitate, and trapezoid! Boom. Carpal bones.”</p>
<p>“Wow,” Link whispered, looking from her to his hand. “That’s hot.”</p>
<p>Zelda started to laugh and sat up. She crossed her legs to look at him intently. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>He smirked and shook his hand around. “What else can you tell me?”</p>
<p>“Really?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>Her smile grew, the excited puff of her cheeks reaching her eyes as she grinned with pride. “Well all I know for now is the hand. Impa told me to start learning the bones in the body if I was serious.”</p>
<p>“Then enlighten me, Doc.”</p>
<p>Zelda chuckled again, grabbing his hand. “Are you trying to flirt with me over science, Link?”</p>
<p>“Oh no, Zelda; you started that yourself.”</p>
<p>Every time he said her name, <em>every time</em>, she still felt butterflies in her stomach, like it was the first time. It was the same aggressive assault that she felt when she saw him cleaning the foyer the night of auditions. It was the same feeling when they’d broken into their classroom to fix a keyboard. Not nearly as bad as when she’d seen him soaking wet, walking in the rain though. She wondered if he felt the same whenever she said his name.</p>
<p>He did.</p>
<p>Zelda ran her hand along his finger, like she was some sort of palm reader, before settling on the tip. “Okay, this is the—”</p>
<p>The house alarm went off, and she heard the clank of keys that no burglar would have done. Besides, there was a familiar jingle to both of her parents’ keys, distinct enough that she knew who was approaching based on the pitch and frequency of the keys hitting each other.</p>
<p>“My dad.”</p>
<p>“Fuck,” Link said, rolling into a sitting position. “I’m not supposed t be in your room.”</p>
<p>The footsteps approached the stairs.</p>
<p>“I can’t make it out of here to like, the bathroom before he gets upstairs.”</p>
<p>Zelda shrugged. She didn’t care if her dad walked in on them mid-makeout at this point.</p>
<p>But Link cared. He cared so much that he slid off the bed and ducked down so he was obscured from sight.</p>
<p>Zelda started laughing so hard that she grabbed her phone just so she could pretend to be laughing at <em>something</em>.</p>
<p>Her father appeared in the doorway, a bemused look on his face. “You’re having a good time.”</p>
<p>“Funny video Makeela sent me,” Zelda said easily. “Why are you home so early?”</p>
<p>He tapped the doorframe and gestured vaguely in the direction of another room. “I forgot some important papers. Just swinging by to pick them up and figured I’d check in on you. Is Link here? I saw his……. motorcycle.”</p>
<p>Zelda put the phone down slowly, giving her just enough time to craft an answer. “He was. He and Ilia came over, but they went in her car to get some snacks before we work. They’ll both be back soon.”</p>
<p>“Ilia?”</p>
<p>“Our friend. She’s great. You met her a while ago.”</p>
<p>“Ah,” he said, seemingly relieved at the fact that Ilia was around as well. And Zelda knew that, which was exactly why she said it. “Good. I’m glad you have friends over.” His words were strained, but he got them out for Zelda’s sake.</p>
<p>“Thanks. And thanks for checking in.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he said, smiling lightly. “I’ll be home later tonight. Your mom should be as well.”</p>
<p>“Wait!” Zelda called, almost sensing Link cringing from the floor. But she had to ask. “Are you both still living here? Like, it’s not just for me?”</p>
<p>“It’s… complicated. We can talk more about it later, I promise. I have to get back.”</p>
<p>“Okay. That works.”</p>
<p>“Okay.” He nodded one more time and left the hall to grab his things. The alarm sounded just a few minutes later, and Link finally popped up, able to breathe in relief.</p>
<p>“Shit!” Link gasped, as if he had been holding his breath the whole time. “You’re a fast liar.”</p>
<p>Zelda chuckled. “I’ll let Ilia know that she was here today, just in case, by some Goddess-borne miracle my father ever runs into her.”</p>
<p>She slid off the bed and landed squarely in Link’s lap, resting her head on his shoulder and letting out a long sigh.</p>
<p>“What?” he asked with a chuckle.</p>
<p>“I wish Castalia was still together.”</p>
<p>Link’s lips tilted up and he grabbed his phone. “Want to look at pictures of them being happy or something?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Zelda said.</p>
<p><em>Moonlight Howl</em> had continued the long, torturous separation of their two main characters, making this season terribly boring after its beautiful beginning.</p>
<p>Link scrolled through some screenshots before he added ‘art’ to the search, and they looked at some drawings people had done.</p>
<p>Zelda immediately proclaimed that she wanted to draw instead of doing homework.</p>
<p>She grabbed a paper and sat at her desk with a pencil, scribbling out incoherent lines that she <em>knew</em> would have to eventually turn into a masterpiece.</p>
<p>Link stayed on the floor, still looking through pages on his phone. Then, he found something. “Ever read fanfiction?”</p>
<p>“No,” Zelda muttered, too preoccupied for a more dignified response.</p>
<p>Clicking through a few pages, he learned how to filter out searches, looking for something short to see if this was something even remotely interesting to him.</p>
<p>He pushed himself up and belly-flopped onto the bed to be more comfortable while he read. He learned very quickly that ‘oneshot’ meant one chapter, but beyond that, the rest was foreign.</p>
<p>They both were silent for a long time before Link made a loud noise and dropped the phone. “Oh shit!”</p>
<p>“What?” she said, turning.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what the fuck I’m reading!”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“What’s a ‘lemon’ mean?” he asked, looking up at her.</p>
<p>Zelda shook her head and shrugged. “I assume it’s not the food?”</p>
<p>“Apparently not.” Link hesitantly picked the phone back up and scrolled. “It says it’s rated E.”</p>
<p>“Okay?”</p>
<p>“’E’ is for everyone. This is not for everyone.”</p>
<p>“Why? What’s it about?” Zelda set down her drawing and laid beside Link so she could see his screen.</p>
<p>“It’s about them having sex.”</p>
<p>“They do in the show.”</p>
<p>Link made a noise and skimmed the page as he scrolled before handing it back to Zelda.</p>
<p>Her eyes scanned the page before bugging out. “Oh,” she muttered, continuing to read. “<em>Oh!”</em></p>
<p>“Yeah,” Link said, breathing out a surprised laugh before reaching for his phone again.</p>
<p>But Zelda held on to it. “I’m reading.”</p>
<p>“Zel,” he chuckled, holding out his hand.</p>
<p>“No! Go work on my drawing if you don’t want to read.”</p>
<p>“You’re going to read that?”</p>
<p>“Hell yeah,” she said, rolling away from his reach.</p>
<p>“You didn’t even start at the beginning,” he protested, reaching for it again.</p>
<p>Zelda’s eyes shimmered in amusement as she looked up. “You want to finish reading it too, don’t you?”</p>
<p>“I want to look up what a ‘lemon’ means, that’s all.” His red face betrayed him, and Zelda beamed. She tapped a few things into his phone before tossing it back to him. Not a moment later, her phone dinged, and she smugly pulled it off the desk and into her lap.</p>
<p>“Read a few more paragraphs down,” Zelda said, curling up in her chair. “If this doesn’t happen at the end of the season, I’ll be pissed. Unrealistic expectations are being set already.”</p>
<p>Link read on and scoffed. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen and you know it. Don’t get your hopes—”</p>
<p>“Oh, Link, did you read the next paragraph too?”</p>
<p>Skimming it with every intention of reading on, Link shook his head. “This is so not school work.”</p>
<p>“We can do math later,” she said, pushing her things off to the side of her desk so she could lean. “This is more fun. It’s the <em>Moonlight Howl</em> we never knew we needed.”</p>
<p>Four chapters into a different fic, they still hadn’t done any work.</p>
<p>And though neither of them had looked up what a lemon was, they got the idea of the ratings after that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, sorry for the long gap between updates! I had no inspiration to write this whatsoever, so this chapter was essentially me just getting something on the page again, which is why it's kind of all over the place. I just literally haven't been able to write a word for this fic! I have officially run out of any and all notes that I might have had, which means I'm now running 100% blind. Because I think this fic is getting to me, and because my notes are gone, I'm going to end this fic very soon. I might do some time jumping to get to the end of the school year more quickly, but I'm going to ballpark end this fic at Chapter 55. It might be a chapter sooner/later but this is about the end. I am in dire need of writing something with some plot again, and stakes, and boy do I miss killing characters!! With this as my main fic, I don't get to do that. So I'm not sure how fast these updates will be, since I'm really still not overflowing with desire to work on this, but it won't be a month-ish.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0050"><h2>50. Chapter 50</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda felt embarrassed as she sat in her car.</p>
<p>There were tears streaming down her cheeks, tears that had lasted the whole ride from her house to the school.</p>
<p>In here, she could smell the metal, taste it on her tongue. She could hear the sound of the impact. She could feel her head moving forward. And she could remember the darkness and the dizziness before the fall.</p>
<p>Driving with this stupid cast was enough to stress her out, especially the sharp turns that usually involved both of her hands, but the memories of the accident, of her inability to control it and to <em>do</em> anything about it, made her shake. Besides it all, facing the school for the first time was beyond nerve wracking as well.</p>
<p>There was the sputter of an engine beside her before it was abruptly silenced. She glanced at Link as he watched her from his motorcycle. He took off his helmet and fixed his hair before leaning against her door, his face close to the window, but not daring to press his face to the glass to leave a giant print.  </p>
<p>She made a miserable face in his direction and slid out of the car, early as usual. Though it was already her habit to be at school early, this gave her a moment to take it all in, and to brace herself for everyone’s reactions.</p>
<p>Link walked around to her side of the car and opened the door for her, kneeling beside her. “What can I do?”</p>
<p>She’d called him that morning in a panic, unsure if she’d even be able to get into the car, let alone drive it.</p>
<p>Everything, <em>everything</em>, was stressing her out.</p>
<p>“Nothing. Just… just be you, I guess.”</p>
<p>“Want me to get your bag?” he said, eyeing a stack of books on the seat, too much to fit in her backpack and too much for her to carry in with one hand. “Oh, Zel…”</p>
<p>He bit his lip and stared at Zelda for a long moment. She finally made a face. “What?”</p>
<p>Link grabbed the bottom of her blouse and shook it so she could see. A large uneven gap. She’d done up the buttons in the wrong holes.</p>
<p>“Fuck!” she hissed, slamming her good hand into the steering wheel. “I want to go home.”</p>
<p>“I know,” Link sighed, feeling for her. Her anxiety was radiating off of her in waves. “Get in the backseat and I’ll help.”</p>
<p>“People will think we’re having sex,” she said, moving from the front to the back anyway.</p>
<p>Link chuckled and closed the door, blocking as much of the window with his back as possible. “So?” he joked.</p>
<p>Zelda joined in his laughter, trying to pry the first few buttons off, but too clumsy to actually make much progress. “Are you the same guy I started dating at the beginning of the school year?”</p>
<p>“No,” Link said, undoing the buttons with perhaps <em>too </em>much efficiency. “You made me a bit more confident. I wish you’d take some of it back for yourself.”</p>
<p>Zelda had a tank top on under her shirt, so she didn’t feel self-conscious when she stopped his hand from moving before she was decent enough to go into the school. “Link, I’ve kept this hidden from everyone for years. I’ve always passed out in private. No one ever knew. Now… now <em>everyone</em> knows that there’s something wrong with me. They know I’m not safe. If someone sees me get out of this car, they’re going to wonder why I’m still allowed to drive if I’m just going to pass out.”</p>
<p>Link moved her hand away and lined up the two sides of her shirt. “Fuck them.”</p>
<p>“It’s not that easy.”</p>
<p>“You were all in with me. You didn’t give a shit what people thought, even though I tried to push you away. Why won’t you go all in on yourself?”</p>
<p>“I don’t want to be looked at like I’m sick or different. With you, I had a choice, and I don’t regret making it. With this? I have no say.”</p>
<p>Link finished helping her with her shirt and grabbed her hand. “We’ll get you through today. And then tomorrow, we’ll get you through tomorrow. And then people will forget. And if they don’t, we’re almost out of here and no one will know again unless you let them.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” she said halfheartedly. She grabbed Link’s collar and pulled him towards her, feeling him chuckle against her lips.  </p>
<p>“<em>Now </em>people will think we’re having sex,” he muttered into her lips.</p>
<p>“So?” she giggled, pulling away from him with a smile that only he could draw out of her right now.</p>
<p>“I love you,” Link laughed, offering her his hand as he pulled them both out of the car.</p>
<p>Zelda was still chuckling as she fixed her hair and her shirt. Two girls walked by, whispering to themselves, “Oh, did they just—” “No, that’s the girl who almost killed some people on the ro—”</p>
<p>Link glared at them and walked around Zelda’s car to grab her things off the seat. “Hey!” he called, lifting his head to them when they wouldn’t stop whispering. “Fuck off!”</p>
<p>Zelda’s head whipped in his direction, never before hearing him so vocal in public. “Link!”</p>
<p>He slammed her door and walked with her to the foyer. “People still think I’m a murderous arsonist or something. I’ll use that to silence these assholes.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine. Don’t do that.”</p>
<p>“Just say the word, Princess. My reputation is yours to command.”</p>
<p>“Oh, you’re so dramatic,” Zelda scoffed, smiling as she let him help her get her backpack on.</p><hr/>
<p>It took all of three minutes of being in school for people to begin reacting to Zelda.</p>
<p>The first to react had been Ilia. She’d rushed up to Zelda and held her so tight that Zelda’s arms had begun to hurt from where they were crushed beneath Ilia’s relieved embrace.</p>
<p>Makeela was next, though she’d seen Zelda several times since the hospital, and opted to back off, unlike her usual self. She could read Zelda like a book, and Zelda was not giving off the vibe that she wanted to be the center of attention.</p>
<p>Medli gave Zelda a tentative hug, one that said she was too afraid to break Zelda. That was Zelda’s first inkling that anyone thought differently of her. Medli was a tight hugger on a normal day, and now, Zelda could barely feel her arms.</p>
<p>Darunia was worse. He’d never treated Zelda as some fragile thing, but his light touch and concerned looks at her arm had her understanding too well that everyone thought she was broken.</p>
<p>Mrs. Joy even took pity on her, not harking on her for her non-dresscode sleeve length. It was required long sleeves during the winter months, and Zelda wore her shortsleeves for the sake of her cast. And though it received a noticeable glance, Mrs. Joy let it slide.</p>
<p>Mr. Auru asked her too many questions, all out of concern, but too many all the same. Ravio, and Ruto watched her warily, like this had been a ploy for attention. Groose tried to grab all her books from her hands and proceeded to drop them on her foot when she resisted his help.</p>
<p>But things got worse when she attended drama class.</p>
<p>Sidon and Revali were sympathetic, but despite everything, Revali knew her well enough to see that she didn’t want their sympathy. There was too much disconnect between them now for him to offer a distracting conversation, so he simply let her be.</p>
<p>Then, Mr. Ezlo broke the class into groups to perform a short scene, and he pulled Zelda into the hallway.</p>
<p>“How are you?” he asked, starting with small talk. Zelda already knew that it wasn’t good when the man who’d been her teacher and director for four years couldn’t come straight out with something.</p>
<p>“Fine.”</p>
<p>“Listen, Zelda… there’s no easy way to say this. I know you signed up for auditions, but the school board doesn’t feel comfortable letting you go through with the show this year. If you fall, if you hurt yourself, they’re liable so—”</p>
<p>“What?” she balked, taking a step away. “You’re not going to let me even audition?”</p>
<p>“I have no say in this. I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“It’s not like this is a new condition!” she said, her breathing speeding up, her eyes pleading. “I’ve had this for years and no one thought I was a liability then! Please, Mr. Ezlo! Please help me! Talk to someone, please! It’s my senior show! I’m never going to be able to—”</p>
<p>“Zelda, I can’t…”</p>
<p>“No, no, <em>please</em>!” Tears freely rolled down her eyes, and she bit her lip to try to stop them. “It’s probably the last time I’ll even do theater! And they’re already taking volleyball from me!”</p>
<p>“I can’t. It’s not my decision to make.” He reached out a comforting hand, but Zelda flinched away. “I can give you a tech job. They don’t want you on the stage in case you fall—”</p>
<p>Zelda sobbed.</p>
<p>“—but I can maybe let you work the lightboard. If there’s someone with you, I definitely can.”</p>
<p>“Was there a meeting all about me?” she asked, waving her arm at some unseen thing behind her.</p>
<p>“Yes,” he sighed. “Yes, there was actually. It’s not often our students pass out and end up hospitalized. So, we need to minimize your risks of getting hurt.”</p>
<p>“And of making me the school’s problem?”</p>
<p>“Zelda…”</p>
<p>Her voice hitched up a few octaves. “Can my parents fight this?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think so. Legally, the school can do this because it’s a safety concern.”</p>
<p>“I can’t…” Zelda clutched her hair and let the tears fall. “I just want to do the play, Mr. Ezlo. Please.”</p>
<p>His expression was genuinely pained as he watched her break down. Every attempt to comfort her was met with a step back, so he stopped trying.</p>
<p>“I need to go to the bathroom,” she said miserably, unable to even look at the drama classroom.</p>
<p>“Go ahead,” he said, not fooled in the least.</p>
<p>Zelda stormed down the hall, stopping for a moment to rest her head against the cool wall before she continued.</p>
<p>There was a staircase that not as may students used unless they were walking to or from the history classrooms and the library. Zelda found solace on the fourth step and let her head rest under the railing while she had a good cry. It was something she needed to let out, something cathartic about the act of crying helped her clear her mind long enough to let her eyes dry a bit.</p>
<p>Zelda sat there for a while on her phone. She texted Makeela and Link, and she scrolled through some website she had no interest in. Pretty sure that Mr. Ezlo knew she wasn’t coming back to class, she was content to sit on this stairwell the rest of the period.</p>
<p>Then, she heard footsteps descending from behind her.</p>
<p>“Oh, this is rich.”</p>
<p>Zelda turned to see Ravio striding down the stairs, slowing his steps so he could stand menacingly above her. Zelda’s eyes were burning, and she wasn’t in the mood for his stupid antics. “What do you want?”</p>
<p> “What the fuck do you have to cry about? You’ve got the attention of the whole fucking school.” He pushed her foot with his own, letting hers fall off the step and sent her jolting forward.</p>
<p>She let out an annoyed breath and moved her foot back into place, determined to let him see that she wasn’t bothered by his antics.</p>
<p>But when he sat down beside her, Zelda couldn’t help but try to scoot away from him, to gain the distance that she so desperately wanted right now. “I’d rather be alone.”</p>
<p>Instead, Ravio made himself more comfortable on the steps, stretching his legs into Zelda’s space.</p>
<p>Zelda glared at him before knocking his legs away so she could stand up, but he caught her good wrist and held it tight. “Remember when you used to like when I did that?”</p>
<p>She made a show of thinking about that for a moment before shaking her head. “No. Not really.”</p>
<p>“When you broke up with me, you destroyed such a good thing. Didn’t even give us a chance.”</p>
<p>“When…” Zelda sputtered a laugh and tried to twist her wrist free. “You broke up with me! And thank the Goddess you did. Let go.”</p>
<p>“We could do it all over again. You and me and the good times we used to have? They were good.”</p>
<p>Zelda stopped trying to free her wrist, too dumbfounded by this random turn of events. “Excuse me? I’m very happy with Link, my boyfriend who I love, you’re with Ruto, and even if neither of those things were true, I still wouldn’t want to date you ever again.”</p>
<p>“Neither of them need to know.”</p>
<p>“Gods,” Zelda breathed, dragging Ravio down the steps with her since he wouldn’t let go. It made him stumble as he tried to keep up, and it gave Zelda a chuckle. She gave her arm a tug and watched him scurry to stay on his feet. He let go to grab the railing and Zelda moved off the stairs with a satisfied smile.</p>
<p>The doors at the bottom of the platform opened, and Revali stepped through with a concerned look on his face. “I just heard. Are you okay?”</p>
<p>Ravio had composed himself and stepped beside Zelda, which had her moving to Revali’s side. “She’s fine. I comforted her.”</p>
<p>“Gods,” Zelda scoffed, unable to stand being in his presence any longer. “I feel so bad for Ruto. She got sucked into some twisted little fantasy, but that poor girl deserves so much better than you.”</p>
<p>“And it’s my fault,” Revali said, crossing his arms.</p>
<p>While Zelda didn’t want to say it aloud, she wanted to agree with him. He’d done this damage. He’d split up their fried group just as much as she had, but she’d simply distanced herself from people who couldn’t accept her choices. Revali had harassed her and led Ruto into an unhealthy relationship with lies meant to hurt Zelda. Then Ravio had taken the reins from there in attempting to make Zelda’s life unbearable at school. Little did he know that all he had to do for that was to keep her out of the only two experiences she looked forward to: volleyball and theater.</p>
<p>She didn’t even realize that Revali and Ravio had begun to speak to each other, low hushed whispers with the undertones of a potential fight.</p>
<p>And while she wasn’t particularly fond of either of them, she rested her hand on Revali’s arm. “Let’s go back to class. If they won’t let me on the stage, then you’ll have to do some scenes with me in the classroom.”</p>
<p>Revali nodded and followed her from the stairwell, pushing through the doors with her and leaving Ravio behind.</p>
<p>“I’m really sorry that you’re not allowed in the show.”</p>
<p>But Zelda didn’t want to talk about that. “Are you having trouble in paradise?” She wiped some of the remaining tear streaks from her cheeks.</p>
<p>“Yeah. I see why you didn’t like dating him.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I wouldn’t wish him on anyone. Not even you.”</p>
<p>Revali smiled sadly. It was a backhanded compliment, but he took it. “How’s Link?”</p>
<p>Zelda nearly tripped. “Good. Sidon?”</p>
<p>“Good.” He cleared his throat. “Makeela?”</p>
<p>Zelda had to stop herself before she could say ‘good’ one more time. “She’s doing great. Volleyball is back so she’s in her happy place, you know?” She fiddled with her nails. “Darunia and Ilia have been hanging out. I didn’t expect that.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he’s still hung up about Ruto. I think Ilia helped him set up a dating profile or something, because he’s always on the phone now.”</p>
<p>“She’s a really good wingwoman.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>They lapsed into a silence that lasted through the rest of the class period. When Zelda arrived in class with Revali, she immediately separated herself. Something kept her from holding any significant conversation with him. She didn’t remember a lot of that day, going through the motions until she ended up sobbing with Link later that night as she lamented the loss of something she’d been looking forward to since she was a freshman. Her final performance, her final games, her lasting memories. Now, it was all tainted by the realization that she’d always remember being banned from her events for being a liability.</p>
<p>In the days since her ban, Zelda went to every volleyball game, sitting in the stands either alone or with Link, and sometimes even Ilia. If no one could make it, she’d find Darunia and Sidon, reluctantly sitting near Revali only if she had to.</p>
<p>He’d told Ruto what had happened, but she didn’t believe him, so across the bleachers were Ruto and Ravio, cheering for other friends on the team.</p>
<p>Zelda enjoyed watching Makeela, but most of the time, it was too sad to see someone else in her position, and she only hoped that her arm would be healed in time to finish the season in some way. Unless they considered her a liability as well.</p>
<p>Auditions came and went, and she found herself staring at the cast list with a heavy heart. Her name was at the bottom of the sheet as the switchboard operator. And her co-operator, as deemed necessary by the school in case something happened to her?</p>
<p>Link.</p>
<p>When she’d cried that night, he’d offered to talk to Mr. Ezlo about his electronics experience and closeness with Zelda, so he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. And by that, Link meant he’d sit beside her with his headphones and homework and let her do all the work unless she actually wanted his help. Zelda was beyond grateful that he’d done that, because she knew if it had been anyone else, they’d have thought her to be just as fragile.</p>
<p>Link, however, had hit a hurdle of his own, smoking a cigarette with an old friend outside the convenient store after he’d gone to get milk. He’d come back home utterly disgusted with himself for cracking under something as simple as someone offering him a free cigarette, and he’d proceeded to the gym where he could hit things without repercussions. From then on, Link had the gum in his mouth almost all the time, and the patch grew itchier than it ever had, reminding him of his slip. He tried to get past it, but it seemed that one of the few things that actually helped him was working. So, he’d begun to pick up extra shifts.</p>
<p>More days went on, and Zelda fell back into a familiar routine: she went to school, found ways of catching the attention of Mrs. Joy—which happened now more than ever because Zelda had chosen to ignore the dress code to accommodate her cast—which landed her in either detention or the office, doing her homework, going to work-work, working the switchboard, finishing her homework, and going to sleep. It didn’t take Zelda long to find empathy for Link when she’d first realized he had three jobs plus his detention job and school. She found her schedule more difficult to navigate, and weekends grew shorter while she worked on essays and math problems at night instead of having any fun.</p>
<p>She’d come to accept that the strange looks she’d get in school during the week were the norm. She’d accepted that Makeela spent more time at practice and in the gym because of scouts in the audience. She even accepted that Ravio had found something to latch onto in his persistently demeaning treatment of Zelda whenever he caught her alone. But he did seem to be afraid of Link, possibly still thinking him to be a serial killer of sorts.</p>
<p>It was mediocre, and it was tiring, but Zelda had accepted it all.</p>
<p>So, as she sat on her couch at her house, with Link half asleep on the couch beside her, she looked around at the empty house. The television was on, the lights were on, there were dishes in the sink ready to be put into the dishwasher, and yet she still felt as uncomfortable in this house as she did. She worried that her parents would walk through the door and see Link. That they’d treat him like a criminal who’d broken into their home. She’d managed to escape such looks; Link either left early enough to avoid them, or he’d be ready to hide when he heard their footsteps.</p>
<p>It was another thing that they’d both simply come to accept. And Zelda was sick of just accepting the hurdles that life was throwing in her way.</p>
<p>“Link?” she asked, despite knowing that it was probably not the best time with his eyes fluttering open from near sleep. “Can I ask you to do me the biggest favor of your life?”</p>
<p>He looked at her suspiciously but nodded.</p>
<p>“Will you have dinner with my parents one final time? If it doesn’t work, that’s it. I’m done here. I’m done sneaking around. If they can’t handle one dinner, then I can’t be here anymore. What do you say? You can say no. They’ve been… horrible. So I know that you might want to avoid—”</p>
<p>“Zel, stop. I’ll do it. I’ll have dinner with them every day if that’s what you want me to do. Can’t say I’d enjoy that plan at all, but I’d do it.”</p>
<p>Zelda sighed in relief. “I won’t make you do <em>that</em>, trust me. I couldn’t even handle it. Thank you, Link. I swear, if they attack you, we’re out. For good, this time.”</p>
<p>Link sat up and wrapped his arm around Zelda. “I have an idea. It might make it worse, or it might help. You open to plan alterations?”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>And Link wondered how quickly he was going to regret his suggestion. Probably right away. He just hoped, for Zelda’s sake and the sake of his cravings, that he was wrong.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I struggled again with this chapter man, so please excuse any weirdness, like that time jump and everything. I'm more excited for the next chapter though! </p>
<p>IT TOOK SO MUCH OUT OF ME NOT TO HAVE LINK SHOW UP WITH THE RAVIO SCENE AND TO MAKE HIM REVERT TO HIS "iMMA THREATEN ANYONE WHO COMES AT ZELDA" WAYS, BUT I ALSO REALLY WANTED IT TO BE REVALI! It was a tough decision, but I also felt Link could have gotten himself into a lot of trouble if he'd showed up.</p>
<p>AND WHILE I'M HERE, let me just say that I lost a few years off my life while writing that scene and trying not to accidently put Revali instead of Ravio and vice versa. AWFUL PLANNING ON MY PART!!! WHY DID I CHOSE THE NAME RAVIO!?!?!</p>
<p>And I'll just stay here while I'm salty: I knew a kid who was banned from all theater performances because he had epilepsy. He tried so hard to get to at least go see the shows because his epilepsy wasn't THAT bad (his words), and he was banned from the auditorium for four years by the administration because of the risk from the stage lights to cause an episode. So this is an ode to my old frenemy who once had a cockroach on his back, and I didn't tell him because I was too surprised, and he squished it with his backpack. Don't use me as an example: if someone ever has a massive bug on them, you should let them know.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0051"><h2>51. Chapter 51</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Why did I do this?” Link whispered, pacing around the room, gripping his hair as waves of anxiety rolled off of him. “Why the <em>fuck</em> did I do this? This sounded like an okay idea on paper. Now that it’s happening, I want to fucking explode.”</p>
<p>Zelda sat with Aryll on the arm of the couch, having long since spent all their words in an attempt to calm Link. Nothing worked, and his feet simply continued their path as he plucked at the patch on his arm, chewed the gum in his mouth, and tugged at strands of hair.</p>
<p>Aryll sighed and decided to try again. “This is a good idea, Link. You had a good idea. Accept that.”</p>
<p>“I’m so fucking stupid. This was such a bad idea.”</p>
<p>“We needed a change, Link. This wasn’t a bad idea at all.” Zelda tried to talk to Link again, but it was a lost effort. He could barely hear her amid his loud thoughts.</p>
<p>Zelda wore a white blouse with cranberry red pants and her most comfortable pair of flats, and she watched Link as he untucked his button-up and rolled the sleeves. His hair was a mess, and he looked like he’d come straight from work after sweating beneath the hood of a car all day.</p>
<p>“How much time do we have?”  Zelda asked, turning to Aryll.</p>
<p>She checked her phone. “Twenty minutes.”</p>
<p>“Okay.” Zelda stood up and grabbed Link’s arm, trying to still him from his obsessive movements. “Come on. Maybe put something lighter on? Something you’ll feel more comfortable in.”</p>
<p>“I’m fine,” he hissed, pushing his hair back <em>again. </em>But he sighed and nodded. “You’re right. Of course, you’re right.” And he sulked into his room and closed the door.</p>
<p>“Gods!” Zelda breathed, turning to Aryll. “It was <em>his</em> idea!”</p>
<p>Aryll pulled her ponytail tighter and smoothed down her own neat outfit. She wore a blazer that she normally reserved for professional meetings, and already knew to be extra careful while she ate. “Not only are they your parents who don’t like him, but they’re your parents who are coming from that gorgeous home you’ve shown me, and coming into our little four room apartment. You have four <em>bathrooms</em>. We have four <em>rooms</em>. Do you see how he might get nervous by this?”</p>
<p>“Nervous, yes. But look at him! He looks like I just told him I’ve been in another car crash!”</p>
<p>“From what I’ve been told, your parents are incredibly intimidating. Even I’m a bit scared.”</p>
<p>“It’s just my parents. He’s done this before.”</p>
<p>Aryll let out a sigh with a sad smile, one that wasn’t quite exhausted, but spoke that she wished she didn’t need to speak at all. “Zelda, you have to remember that this is all new to us both. We weren’t raised like you were. Hell, we weren’t even raised! Link doesn’t remember how shitty our mom was, but she just wasn’t there mentally. She’d already checked out. And our dad was a drunk who didn’t want us. Your parents loved you, Zelda. You’re having a really hard time with them right now, but I’ve heard your stories. They spent time with you and told you that you could do anything. They told you you were loved. They still love you. They’re sure as hell showing it wrong, but they do. Link and I never knew that.</p>
<p>“So yeah, he’s nervous and I’m nervous. This place we’ve built from the ground up is about to be judged. <em>We’re</em> about to be judged. Everything is under scrutiny. And it’s all happening in our own home, in <em>our </em>place. It’s not as easy as you think.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry. I didn’t think of it like that.” Zelda glanced at Link’s door and suddenly felt the weight of this dinner a little harder.</p>
<p>“Don’t be sorry. It’s not the first thing you think of. Just… know that’s why he’s a wreck.”</p>
<p>On cue, Link pushed his door open, still red, still anxious, but in a new shirt with his sleeves rolled up for now, revealing his tattoo in the same way his school uniform did, and he had two ties in his hand. “Should I wear one of these?”</p>
<p>Zelda hopped off the couch and shook her head. “Not if they don’t make you comfortable.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know, I just thought maybe it’ll help with the impression. They already think I’m in a motorcycle gang and a murderer.”</p>
<p>“They don’t.”</p>
<p>“Sure, not that they’ve said out loud.”</p>
<p>Taking the ties from his hand, Zelda tossed them onto his bed and wrapped her arms around his waist. For a moment, he didn’t know what to do, as if it were one of the first times she’d ever hugged him, but her silence and her tight arms around him had an almost immediate calming effect on him, and he returned her embrace. His head rested against hers as he focused on breathing in and out at a normal rate.</p>
<p>He needed longer to just stay there with her, but a timer went off in the kitchen, and he carefully unwrapped her arms, kissing her quickly before moving to the oven to turn the temperature down, then spun the timer again.</p>
<p>Hopping up onto the counter, he sat there comfortably as he looked around the room, inspecting it for any shred of dirt that they might have missed, or for a photo out of place.</p>
<p>And then came a knock on the door.</p>
<p>“Fuck, they’re early!” Link hissed, sliding off the counter and then wincing as he banged into the edge. “Fuck!”</p>
<p>Zelda grimaced, hoping he was getting all the ‘fucks’ out of his system before they’d be with her parents.</p>
<p>It felt like a theater performance. Zelda ran to the door, Aryll stood and brushed herself off, and Link took his place beside his sister. Everyone looked stiff and rehearsed.</p>
<p>With a breath and a final look behind her to see that they were ready, Zelda opened the door.</p>
<p>Her parents stood uncomfortably close together on the tiny platform just outside the door. Both wore heavy coats, and it looked like they were about to fall off the step. Good start.</p>
<p>“Hi mom, dad. Come in. You can hang your coats on the door hook.”</p>
<p>Zelda thought of where they’d hidden all their own coats in Aryll’s room and prayed that her parents didn’t think to ask where hers had gone.</p>
<p>When their things had all been hung up, Link watched her father silence his phone before sliding it back into his pocket. He had a feeling that had been a distinct point of conversation between the three of them.</p>
<p>“You know Link, obviously,” she said, a nervous jitter to her voice.</p>
<p>“It’s good to see you both again,” Link said, holding out his hand and struggling not to wince at the near death grip they both had him in as they shook his hand and returned his pleasantries. But Zelda saw her parents’ eyes zero in on the exposed piece of his tattoo, though they graciously said nothing.</p>
<p>“And this is his sister, Aryll.”</p>
<p>“Mr. and Mrs. Harkinian,” Aryll said, shaking their hands as well. “It’s so good to finally meet you. You raised such an incredible daughter.”</p>
<p>“Oh, thank you,” Arina said, her eyes already shrewdly looking around the room. “What a… quaint home you have.” And then, she turned to Zelda. “Darling, do you sleep on this couch?”</p>
<p>Zelda needed to close her eyes for a moment before she was able to open them again. “No. I don’t.”</p>
<p>“Where then? Your father and I are so curious about this place you call your home away from home.”</p>
<p>Ramus had already distanced himself from the conversation and was looking intently at the shelf lined with photos.</p>
<p>Zelda’s eyes flickered from her mother, to Link. He gave a subtle head nod, and Zelda pushed the door to his room open. “Here.”</p>
<p>Link strained his ears to hear Zelda and her mother, still frozen in place beside Aryll. But that was broken by the sound of Ramus chuckling. For a moment, Link forgot how to breathe and nearly choked on his own air when he breathed in. And he stared at Ramus.</p>
<p>“Is this your mug shot?” he asked, pointing.</p>
<p>“Yes, Sir.”</p>
<p>“Why do you keep it in a frame?”</p>
<p>Link remembered Zelda asking the same thing. “It… it reminds me where I don’t want to be again.”</p>
<p>“Hrmmm,” Ramus said, continuing to look at the rest. “Your father?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Sir.”</p>
<p>Ramus turned, like he was going to say something, but he stopped himself and looked again at the pictures, stopping on a young girl. “Is this you?”</p>
<p>Aryll nodded. “Yes, Sir, it is. This is Link, myself, and our parents about fifteen years ago when…”</p>
<p>She proceeded to explain who various people were in the photos. Ramus seemed at least distantly intrigued, even if he would never remember half of what he was being told. Link took the moment to back himself unnoticed into the kitchen where he checked on the meal. It was all in order, and there was very little he could <em>actually</em> do for it but wait. Still, he stayed in the kitchen even after he heard Zelda close his door, and after she heard her tell her parents that he was the one cooking dinner for them. He could hear Aryll tell them to sit, and heard her answering their questions about her life, a grilling that he knew he should have been in there for. But he couldn’t.</p>
<p>He didn’t hear Zelda excuse herself to help him.</p>
<p>“Hey,” she said, startling him. <em>“You okay?” </em>she managed to sign, despite her hand in the cast. He could get what she was trying to say, even without the fluidity of her normal signing.</p>
<p>Halfheartedly, Link managed to nod before tousling his own hair stressfully.</p>
<p>Zelda pulled his hand away and combed his hair back into place with her nails before taking a step back. She signed <em>“I love you”</em> before poking him in the chest for unnecessary emphasis.</p>
<p>It got him to laugh, and he caught her hand, threading his fingers through hers. She gave his a reassuring squeeze and led him from the kitchen, back to where everyone was sitting. Aryll was on a folding chair that they’d brought out, while Arina and Ramus shared the couch, though they sat as far apart as the space allowed. Zelda went to sit on the arm of the couch so Link could have the other folding chair.</p>
<p>“Your house is lovely,” Arina managed, her polite voice showing. “It has… personality.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Aryll said. “We moved here a few years ago, but I think we’re going to look for something else within the next few years, maybe.”</p>
<p>“Why is that? The neighborhood?”</p>
<p>Ramus’ hand itched by his pocket as he listened to his wife’s thinly veiled attempt at rude small talk.</p>
<p>“No,” Aryll said quickly. “No, this is actually an excellent, safe place to live. It’s just… with Link going to school soon, and I’m nearly done, we might consider something else.”</p>
<p>“Ah, yes,” Ramus said, latching onto a topic he didn’t feel terribly opposed to talking about. “I’ve forgotten what it was that you wanted to go for, Link, but to the local college, if I remember correctly? You have some sort of scholarship?”</p>
<p>Zelda should have been happy that he’d remembered, but she knew that the only reason that fact had stuck in either of her parents’ heads was because the idea of the local community college was absolutely appalling to them, despite how good of a school it really was.</p>
<p>Link rocked his heels as he leaned forward. “Yes, I had the opportunity to go for a scholarship there. But I…” he looked between Zelda and Aryll. “Yesterday, actually, I spoke with someone about a loan to go to the University of Central Hyrule, and they accepted. So, I’ll be going there to study mechanical engineering.”</p>
<p>“Link!” Aryll squealed, unable to help herself as she all but launched from her chair to squish her brother in a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you!”</p>
<p>Returning her hug, Link looked at Zelda, who mouthed ‘me too’ while Aryll finally pulled away and straightened her shirt that she’d just wrinkled.</p>
<p>“Sorry, but when were you going to tell us?”</p>
<p>“Tomorrow,” Link admitted with a shrug.</p>
<p>“No minor?” Arina asked, though she seemed more than pleased that he was going to a different university.</p>
<p>Hesitating, Link figured he’d just dive into it at this point. “I don’t have enough money to take the extra classes for a minor. So just mechanical.”</p>
<p>“Did civil engineering ever cross your mind?”</p>
<p>“No, ma’am. That’s not something that interests me too much.”</p>
<p>“And what exactly do you want to do with that degree?”</p>
<p>Sighing, Link shook his head. “I don’t really know. I think I’d like to work with… engines. Maybe.”</p>
<p>That answer didn’t impress Arina Harkinian. She sat back and hummed her response, seemingly more interested in Link becoming a civil engineer. But she directed her gaze to her daughter. “And you’re still at the hospital then? Is that affecting your schoolwork?”</p>
<p>“No,” Zelda said too quickly. “I mean, I’m a little more tired, especially now that I’m doing everything with one hand, but that’s all.”</p>
<p>Ramus cleared his throat. “And is this getting in the way of theater at all? You must have so few hours of the day left.”</p>
<p>“Dad,” Zelda said, her voice instantly shaking. “I… I told you. I was banned after they learned I passed out.”</p>
<p>“Ramus,” Arina scolded beside Zelda. “She came home absolutely in tears. How could you forget?”</p>
<p>He hummed his response, same as Arina had. “And volleyball? When your arm heals, will you be able to play, or have they banned you from that as well?”</p>
<p>“We’ll see how it goes.”</p>
<p>Ramus nodded and turned to Aryll. “Do you need anything from us? With Zelda’s arm, I imagine it might be putting more on you right now. If there’s anything at all we can do to ease the burden, let us know.”</p>
<p>Aryll shook her head, eyes boring into both of Zelda’s parents. “We don’t need help. I manage fine. Zelda has been the most wonderful, generous addition to our little space. She’s not slacking on a thing, and even if she were, I can pick up any slack just fine. Thank you though.” She would have added more edge to her words if she couldn’t hear that Ramus was genuinely offering to help, and not making a low blow against their living situation.</p>
<p>Then, the buzzer went off, much to everyone’s relief.</p>
<p>Link and Zelda set the table, while Aryll took care of the food. They sat in relative silence for the meal, only exchanging polite courtesies, like ‘thank you’ and ‘this is very good.’ The meal stretched on in painful awkwardness as everyone waited for the others to speak in a never-ending cycle of silence.</p>
<p>For Link, Zelda, and Aryll, they could tell that the elephant in the room was clearly Link’s past. Her parents wanted to bring it up so badly that it was like a tangible subject that they were just waiting to grab at. It was a waiting game, seeing if there was any way they’d leave the subject alone for the night or not.</p>
<p>So, when Link took the trash outside and heard the approach of footsteps, he expected the worst.</p>
<p>Ramus Harkinian stood before him, tall, imposing, and like he could easily kill Link with a single look if he wanted to. Which is what Link was sure would happen as soon as Zelda’s father started to speak.</p>
<p>“I saw your gum on the shelf. I remember Zelda saying you were trying to quit, but that was a while ago now.”</p>
<p>Link froze, unsure how to form words. He just stared for a while, his head starting to shake, unsure of what to say.</p>
<p>Thankfully, Ramus seemed to understand that, and he continued to speak. “It’s hard. I used to smoke, you know. I was older than you, and I started when I was of a legal age, which, given your difficulty stopping, I imagine you started much younger, correct?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Sir. On and off since I was 13. Like I’ve said, I’m not proud of many aspects of my past.”</p>
<p>Ramus nodded. “I nursed away my cravings with wine. Gum is a good alternative. Zelda doesn’t know, I don’t think. I stopped before she was born. Of all your faults, that’s the one I find most understandable, from personal experience, anyway.”</p>
<p>“How long did you…?”</p>
<p>“Maybe about, oh, five or six years? I thought I looked like a proper businessman, what with my suit and my cigarettes and my occasional cigar. I just looked like I was trying too hard. And I wanted to be taken seriously, so I started smoking behind the building where all the big guns were. I learned that I was so far at the bottom, and I’d need to claw my way through all my smoking pals to get to their jobs one day. So I went back to smoking alone. And then Arina told me she didn’t like the smell on my clothes, and I wanted to impress her instead of the bigwigs, so I gave it up. Did Zelda ask you to as well?”</p>
<p>“No. She never did. I always… appreciated that. She didn’t know at first. No! I mean, she knew I smoked, but she didn’t know I’d started trying to quit again.”</p>
<p>“Mmm, that’s good that you did it on your own.” His sidelong look had Link shiver. He knew what was coming. “Link, did you ever steal cigarettes?”</p>
<p>Grateful for the cold air, Link shoved his hands into his pockets, exposing more of his tattoo, as Ramus’ eyes were drawn to it. “Yes, I did. I was never charged for that particularly, but yes. From stores, from friends, and from my father. I stopped stealing them when I came back from jail, and I had an older friend buy them for me.”</p>
<p>“Stealing ‘<em>them’</em>. You continued shoplifting?”</p>
<p>“Fuck,” Link muttered, hopefully too low for Ramus to hear. “Yes. Things we needed. We were struggling, and I thought I was doing the right thing.”</p>
<p>“How old were you again?”</p>
<p>“Fourteen. Close to fifteen.”</p>
<p>“And assault was a charge?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Sir. I got into a fight.”  </p>
<p>Ramus nodded and looked around into the cold night before climbing the steps again.</p>
<p>“Sir!” Link said before he could stop himself.</p>
<p>Ramus turned, confused and intrigued all at once.</p>
<p>“I know this is probably something you don’t want to hear from someone like me, but I love Zelda. I do. I’ll never hurt her. And I’ve changed. I want to be someone who’s worthy of someone like her.</p>
<p>“I lost my best friend a few years ago, and I’ve been struggling ever since. And while I wish to the Goddess that I’d never called my father that day, I can’t change it. I can’t change any of my past. But if I had the chance to change the rest of my life choices, knowing that I’d be standing here, right now, I wouldn’t change a thing I’ve done. It’s led me to be better. To know better.</p>
<p>“And I love Zelda enough to keep trying with you and Mrs. Harkinian, but I don’t know what else to do. I don’t know how else to show you that I’m not here to hurt Zelda. I’m not playing a game. I- I mean, I have jobs. I have school. I have great grades. I just don’t know what you want me to do to prove to you that I want Zelda to be happy. And if that ever means that I need to get out of her life, then I’d do it. What can I do?”</p>
<p>Ramus tilted his chin up into the air, letting it whip against both of their faces unrelentingly before he finally answered. “I saw you at the hospital with her. I saw that you… care. Keep doing that. I can’t say that I like your choices or your lifestyle. I don’t like where you live, and I don’t like that you’ve got tattoos and a dangerous motorcycle that I’m sure my daughter has been on more times than I care to think about. I don’t like that my daughter is living with her boyfriend at 18 and sleeping in his bed. I don’t like that she’s not home where I know she’s safe. But I’m starting to come around to the idea of <em>you</em>.</p>
<p>“I know you must see my wife and I and think we don’t love our daughter, but we do. I know we work too often, and we’ve missed events that are important to Zelda. I know you’ve seen the bad things, and she’s said that you’ve held her while she cried because of us. We’re doing what we can to provide a financially stable life for her in a world that— and I mean this without insult— you know well can drain a person of their time, money, and choices. And I want Zelda to have it all. All the choices. All the world. And if it means I have to work this often to give it to her, then I will.  </p>
<p>“So keep doing what you’re doing. I can’t guarantee that we’ll ever sit down on a couch and watch basketball—or whatever sport it was she said you played—but I’m willing to try to be more understanding. I don’t speak for Arina. You may have noticed there’s some difficulties between us at the moment, but <em>I</em> will try. Give me some slack, and I’ll give you some.”</p>
<p>Link nodded. “I can do that, Sir.”</p>
<p>Ramus sighed. “I’m not at the point where I’m comfortable with you calling me Ramus, and I think that Mr. Harkinian is a mouthful to say often, but you don’t need to call me ‘Sir’ nearly as frequently as you do.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Sir. I- I mean… sorry. It’s an old habit.”</p>
<p>“Did you call your father ‘Sir’?”</p>
<p>“Him and everyone else, yes. I was taught that it’s respectful, but I had a teacher once tell me that I needed to stop because it made him feel old.”</p>
<p>Ramus snorted and opened the door. “Get inside before I start to like you anymore.”</p>
<p>Link grinned. “Yes, Sir.”</p>
<p>They walked back inside, and saw Zelda sitting cross-legged on the couch beside her mother. Aryll was in the chair across from them, saying something too low for Link and Ramus to hear. But when they approached and the conversation stopped, he had the distinct feeling that he knew exactly what—or rather <em>who</em>—they were talking about.</p>
<p>Both of them took their seats in the ensuing awkward silence, and waited for someone else to break it.</p>
<p>Arina took that opportunity. “So, Link,” she sat back, like she was just <em>ready</em>. “What are you going to do when you go to UCH? Are you going to commute? Change your job? Live on campus. There’s so many factors to consider.”</p>
<p>Link shifted uncomfortably. “I uh… I haven’t worked all of that out yet. I know my boss will let me come home to work on weekends, that way I’ll keep getting experience and income, and I’ll probably try to find a work-study job on campus. I haven’t worked everything out financially yet, so I don’t know. I might just look for an opening at a shop closer to school as well.”</p>
<p>“So, you’ll be living there? On campus?”</p>
<p>“Most likely. An apartment seems excessive.”</p>
<p>“Yes, quite. When you said you were going to a school here in Hyrule, I was rather concerned that Zelda might not go to Holodrum in the interest of following you.”</p>
<p>“Mom! I make my own decisions.”</p>
<p>Arina shrugged. “I just don’t want to see something happen to you while you’re studying to become a doctor. That’s a lot of schooling, and if you were to do something irresponsible, like become pregnant, because you’re taking up with this boy—”</p>
<p>“I knew this was going too well,” Zelda groaned, slamming her head back against the cushions.</p>
<p>“Well just think about what you have to lose. I don’t even like you here, even with his sister as a chaperone.”</p>
<p>Aryll sat forward in her chair. “I’m not Link’s chaperone. I’m his guardian, and I’m his sister. I’ve taught my brother to make good choices, Mrs. Harkinian, as I believe you’ve taught Zelda. They’re good kids.”</p>
<p>“I just don’t want to see my daughter throw her entire life away because of a mistake.”</p>
<p>Link and Zelda both moved to interject, but Aryll held up her hand, narrowing her eyes at Arina. “I know what you’re implying right now. Link is a good kid who had some bad things happen to him in the past. And Zelda is smart. My brother is not a mistake, and if you think there’s something wrong with Zelda’s choices, that’s on you. No one else.</p>
<p>“And if you really want to roll with that scenario of yours, Zelda has support here, no matter what happens in the future. Support from me. From Link. Whether she gets it from you two is a different story. But Zelda, while she’s not my relative, is my family, and I care about her. She’s always welcome here.”</p>
<p>“Yes, well if being with your brother has her making poor choices, then that <em>is</em> my business, and it <em>is</em> on me. I trust my child. I don’t know your brother. You’re not a parent. You don’t understand.”</p>
<p>“I’m not a parent, no. But I am someone who is responsible for the wellbeing of someone I love. You’d know more than his criminal record if you’d ask.”</p>
<p>Zelda grabbed her mother’s arm before she could speak again. “Mom, please stop. Let me just stop you now. I’m not going to school in Holodrum. I’ve always wanted to visit, but me going to school there has been your dream for me, not my own. And regarding Link? You have no say. You have an opinion, sure, but I can choose to disregard that opinion, which I have done, and am doing again. Did you know that he’s doing the theater lights with me so I won’t have to be alone or with someone I’m not friends with? He has two other jobs, and he’s doing that for me. Did you even go to my last show? No.”</p>
<p>“Zelda…”</p>
<p>“No! And you talk about trusting me?” Zelda’s voice cracked, this time looking between both her parents. “I don’t know if I should even trust you! Are you both together? Are you seeing someone else? Are you getting a divorce, or separating? You won’t tell me anything!”</p>
<p>Ramus shifted and turned to Arina, waiting for her to answer first.</p>
<p>But she couldn’t.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Ramus said, clearing his throat harshly. “We are both currently seeing other people.”</p>
<p>“Why do you both live at home then?”</p>
<p>“We’re…” he turned desperately to Arina for help.</p>
<p>“We are separated, but we are not sure if we want to get a divorce. Love is not a fairytale, Zelda. It’s not the fantasy that you believe you’re in. I’m sure Link is good, but people never really change.”</p>
<p>Link’s gaze went to his hidden stash of gum that Ramus had found and he wrung his hands together. He hoped that weren’t true.</p>
<p>“Stop bringing him into things! I’m asking about you!” Zelda exclaimed.</p>
<p>“Your father and I are taking time apart to see if we truly want to try to make things work. There. Are you satisfied?”</p>
<p>“No,” Zelda breathed. She stood up and went into the kitchen, leaning heavily against the counter.</p>
<p>Then, she felt a hand run soothingly along her back.</p>
<p>She let Link do it for a few moments, reveling in the comforting feeling it brought, but she quickly spun into him, preferring the warm, all-encompassing feeling that his arms brought. “I hate them,” she whispered so only he could hear.</p>
<p>“Your father might like me a little bit, I think.”</p>
<p>“Yeah? Something happen when you took out the garbage?”</p>
<p>“Yes, actually. So if nothing else, tonight has your dad coming around a little bit.”</p>
<p>Zelda pulled away just enough to look at Link’s face. “Have I ever told you that I’m really proud of you?”</p>
<p>“Because of UCH?”</p>
<p>“Because of everything.”</p>
<p>Link smirked and pulled her closer again. “I’m proud of you, too.”</p>
<p>In the silence, they could hear Aryll having a civil conversation with Ramus, and Zelda could hear the intentionally loud clicks of her mother’s phone as she typed.</p>
<p>“Do you think I’ve lost my mom?” Zelda asked, thinking of all the days in the future that she might not get to share if her relationship had been irreparably damaged.</p>
<p>“No, I don’t.”</p>
<p>“You don’t?”</p>
<p>“No. I’ve seen irreparable damage, and not just with my parents. This is something that can be fixed.”</p>
<p>“While you were outside, she <em>did </em>mention that she liked your cooking.”</p>
<p>“See? That’s one point for me.”</p>
<p>“Stop,” Zelda chuckled. But it faded. “I just want them to go. I want to go to sleep.”</p>
<p>Link’s kiss missed her forehead and landed in her hair before he stepped away from her. “You don’t want to have Moblin Munchies with me?”</p>
<p>With a face, Zelda feigned resignation. “I suppose I can lose some of that planned sleep for that.”</p>
<p>“Maybe we should include Aryll?”</p>
<p>Zelda scoffed. “She’ll need wine after tonight, not cereal.”</p>
<p>Link held out his hand, and Zelda took it. “Let’s finish this night out strong, okay Princess?”</p>
<p>“Shut up,” she laughed, pressing up against him as they walked out, ignoring the looks they received.</p>
<p>Zelda’s mom was able to keep to polite conversation after that. She’d even gone so far as to ask Link what he used to do for fun as a child.</p>
<p>And when they left, she gave Zelda a long kiss on the forehead before giving her hand a squeeze with a sincere ‘Goodbye, Darling,” as she headed to the car.</p>
<p>Ramus gave Zelda a hug and shook the others’ hands before he too followed Arina.</p>
<p>And unsurprisingly, Aryll went into the kitchen, and returned to the couch with a bottle of wine.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aryll has no chill. Link is a wreck. Zelda has no idea what's going on. Ramus probably wants to smoke again. Arina is not on her best behavior. Good times.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0052"><h2>52. Chapter 52</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zelda couldn’t handle going to watch the volleyball game that Friday. She didn’t even want to go to school with her arm in the cast, and going to theater class and seeing everyone reading their lines for a show she’d been banned from. She didn’t want to sit through even Chemistry, which she had with Link but was forced to bear the weight of every pair of eyes still on her, still being a relevant topic of discussion around the rumor mill. She wanted to do something fun. And she had just the idea.</p>
<p>She and Link didn’t go to school.</p>
<p>Instead, they woke up and were in the car on their way to a new adventure for the day.</p>
<p>Zelda was desperate to split the drive between them. It would be four hours there, and four hours back, but Link insisted on driving both ways to give her arm a break. And just for her, their first pit stop was to her favorite place.</p>
<p>“Hi welcome to Hyrule Energized, would you like to try our Goron Donuts?”</p>
<p>“Oh, they’re back? Yes! I’ll take two!” Zelda said, throwing herself across Link’s lap so she could be heard by the speaker.</p>
<p>There was silence on the other end and then the muffled sound of movement. “Actually, sorry, looks like someone inside just got the last one. There will be some more in like, 20 minutes maybe? Is there anything else you wanted instead?”</p>
<p>“Damnit!” Zelda hissed, feeling Link chuckle. “Alright, I’ll have a medium iced coffee with soymilk and two sugars, please. And a small hot coffee, black.”</p>
<p>“Sure thing, hon. That’ll be $4.75. You can pull up.”</p>
<p>Zelda leaned back and grabbed her backpack. Both of them figured it might help them blend in.</p>
<p>Link grabbed her hand and reached for his wallet. “I think it’s my turn to pay.”</p>
<p>“Is it? I don’t remember, but you’re driving both ways. I’ve got this today. We’ll start the cycle over.”</p>
<p>“No, it’s my day. I’ve got it.”</p>
<p>He pulled the car up to the window and held out his $5, waiting.</p>
<p>Zelda unbuckled her seatbelt and maneuvered so her arm was out the window as well just as the Hyrule Energized employee appeared, looking confused.</p>
<p>Zelda elbowed Link in the gut. “Put that away!” then turned to the man in the window. “Take my card, please. He’s being stubborn.”</p>
<p>The employee looked between them and took Zelda’s card, which left Link rolling his eyes and poking Zelda in the side. She let out a yelp and jerked her arm harder into him.</p>
<p>“You’re a sore loser, Link!” she said, settling back into place on her side of the car while he laughed, digging through his wallet again.</p>
<p>“Here you go,” the employee said, handing the card back, and then the drinks.</p>
<p>And Link handed him a dollar.</p>
<p>“Thanks. Have a good one.”</p>
<p>Zelda sighed, and took her drink from him. “Sore. Loser. I had a dollar.”</p>
<p>“Get over it.”</p>
<p>“I hate you sometimes,” Zelda said, testing her drink. It was delicious, and she knew she was going to have a hard time savoring it over the next four hours.</p>
<p>Four. Hours.</p>
<p>Link just wriggled his eyebrows and headed onto the highway, beyond grateful that his beautiful non-flip phone had a GPS, or he’d have had to study printed instructions for a ride on his bike.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long for Zelda to get bored of the music they were listening to. “You haven’t been sleeping again. I can see it.”</p>
<p>He grinned, and it melted Zelda. “I slept better with you every night.”</p>
<p>“I slept over last night,” she countered, fighting back a smile. She had to look out the window at the passing trees.</p>
<p>“I’m kidding, sort of. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”</p>
<p>“Hopefully, this will help ease some of it.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. And you. You might see that this is the perfect place for you, too. Or that it’s so ghastly horrible, and you never want to go here.”</p>
<p>“Dramatic,” she laughed. “Impa said it’s a good school. There’s apparently a ton of biology programs.”</p>
<p>“Just tell your parents you want to be a doctor and they’ll pay for you to go anywhere.”</p>
<p>“I know, right? I might just do that. Then at the last minute, I’ll just pop out with my nursing degree like, ‘Surprise! I’m done!’”</p>
<p>“They’d be so pissed,” he chuckled, glancing at her as she laughed.</p>
<p>“I know! It would be fun!”</p>
<p>Link took an exit onto another long stretch of highway. “How is Impa? You don’t talk about work much anymore.”</p>
<p>Zelda looked out the window again. “It’s fine. They took a lot of responsibilities away until my arm is out of the cast. Impa told me it’s not permanent like school, but you know, it still sucks. She’s the one who had to inform the school, so I’m a little annoyed with her. I know it’s her job, but still.”</p>
<p>“It’s not a privacy thing?”</p>
<p>“No, because she’s the school nurse, so my file is hers at school anyway, and then the school can see it because I’m their responsibility while I’m on the premises.”</p>
<p>“Fucking sucks. I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“Thanks. And then, Komali has been weird. He’s been trying to help me with the trays, but I got a cart that I can wheel around, so there’s no reason for me to have help, but he’s just always right there, and so eager. He even took a tray right out of my hand. It’s getting annoying, so I mentioned it to him. We’ll see if he backs off.”</p>
<p>She could see Link tense up slightly before he gave her a sidelong glance.</p>
<p>Zelda shrugged. “I don’t want to lose a friend, but he just… he likes me more than a little crush, I think.”</p>
<p>“I think so too.”</p>
<p>“Like, what other boundaries can I set up? I’m running out! You’re going to have to give me a ring for him to understand at this point.”</p>
<p>This time, Link turned to her for a good while, an amused, incredulous look on his face.</p>
<p>“Oh! I didn’t mean it like that!” Zelda said, feeling her face heat up exponentially. Link’s was decidedly hot when he turned back, the entirety of his neck gone flushed red.</p>
<p>Link cleared his throat. “Well, I can punch him if he so much as touches your hand without permission, let alone kiss you or something. Then I’ll just kill him. That’s a good boundary.”</p>
<p>“Maybe a little permanent,” she tried laughing, but was still too embarrassed for any sound to come out naturally.</p>
<p>It sent them into a long stretch of silence where they were just listening to the music on the radio. Zelda eventually got sick of that and turned on the Indigo-Go’s, which eased the awkwardness a fair bit.</p>
<p>By the fourth song, Zelda was belting out the verses like she was performing at a concert. Link had his mouth covered to try to stop himself from laughing at her excited and… animated performance. She whipped her hair around, she sang into her cup like it was a microphone. She opened the window so she could sing to cars passing by on the highway, too fast for them to <em>actually</em> hear what she was singing.</p>
<p>Link didn’t last long, and joined in, blasting the radio even louder so they struggled to even hear their own voices over the music.</p>
<p>This went on for 17 songs, passing over an hour of their time on the road.</p>
<p>When their throats were raw, Zelda turned the music back down to a more tolerable background level and played a word game on her phone, reading the clues aloud to Link so he could participate. When that was done, she turned on an app that helped her memorize different parts of the body, surprised when Link began participating, and she realized that he’d been listening to her practice anatomy far more closely than he’d been admitting. He’d nearly mastered the arm, wrist, and finger bones with her. But when she called him out on his attention, he simply said it was the beautiful sound of her voice that he’d been listening to, not that he was actually interested in the information. But she knew better.</p>
<p>By the time the GPS announced that they were only twenty minutes away, Zelda began to sing her excitement in an off-key, made up song that consisted of very few lyrics besides ‘I’m so excited, I’m so excited!’</p>
<p>And finally, the signs let them know that they were there.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘University of Central Hyrule, next left.’</em>
</p>
<p>Link pulled into the long strip of road that led to the campus and shuddered in anticipation, nerves, and excitement. “What if we need a parking pass?”</p>
<p>“Ask the guard,” Zelda said, pointing at a little booth that they had to pass anyway.</p>
<p>Link stopped and rolled down his window. “Hi. We’re… uh… visiting a friend. Do we need a parking pass?”</p>
<p>“Not if you park in Lot 7. Take a right down this road and you’ll see if on your left eventually.”</p>
<p>“Great, thank you!”</p>
<p>Both of them sat forward, eyes peeled. Link drove at a slug’s pace, glad that the cars behind him were just taking the other lane to go around him. When they found the massive Lot 7, they found three parking spaces in the very back of the lot, and hastily pulled into them. Everywhere else was full.</p>
<p>Well, it was <em>certainly</em> much bigger than Daphnes Rhoam Hyrule High.</p>
<p>Neither of them had ever been to a big school, so Zelda pulled up the map of campus on her phone and grabbed her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder as she waited for Link to get out of the car.</p>
<p>“Okay, we’re in Lot 7, and if we go straight, it’s two residence halls. Cedar Hall and Pine Hall. I had no idea that there were themes to these building’s names.” She scrolled and muttered the names of several residence halls to herself. “Evergreen,” she laughed. “Wow. This is so funny.”</p>
<p>Link steered her by the shoulders towards the buildings while she stared at the map.</p>
<p>“Can we just go in one, or do we need a student ID?”</p>
<p>Link shrugged. “We can just try. And if something goes wrong, just look around for it and pretend we forgot it and we’ll run.”</p>
<p>As it turned out, they didn’t need an ID to get into any of the academic buildings, but they enacted their plan when they tried to get into a residence hall. The security guard at the desk looked at them suspiciously but said nothing else.</p>
<p>They found their way to the Robbie Science and Engineering Building, and Link stopped at every glass cabinet to read every flier. He read the history of one of the early benefactors of the college, Arnold Robbie, who’s designs in engineering had advanced the field beyond recognition in his time. The building was massive, with lecture halls with stadium seating, labs, small classrooms, a coffee cart, a commuter lounge on two floors, offices, professors, everything. It was <em>everything. </em></p>
<p>Link’s eyes were alight as he walked through the halls, almost forgetting Zelda was there with him, enraptured by everything around him in a world so full of possibilities he’d never even thought to dream up before then.</p>
<p>He stopped short outside a classroom, watching the words projected on the screen. It was something Zelda couldn’t understand, some mathematical proof far beyond her skill or interest level. But not Link.</p>
<p>He stood in the dead center of the hallway and watched as the professor worked out the problem, only moving when Zelda dragged him by the arm so a group could pass. He sat in the chair outside the room with a clear view of the board and got comfortable.</p>
<p>“Can we stay for this?” he asked, looking at Zelda for a second before unzipping his backpack and grabbing his notebook.</p>
<p>“Sure,” she said, glad to see him so happy. She wasn’t going to take notes on that lesson though and grabbed her headphones. “Want a drink?”</p>
<p>“Water, please?”</p>
<p>“Sure, I’ll be back.”</p>
<p>She explored the building, wondering if every one of the buildings was like that on campus. There was no specific nursing building, but she wondered if she’d recognize a course being taught as Link had.</p>
<p>She grabbed two waters from the cooler and brought them to the register, feeling someone bump her.</p>
<p>“Sorry!” they called, presumably hurrying to their class. It was hectic as people mulled about near the food. She peeked into a room once she’d bought their drinks and looked around.</p>
<p>“Hi, are you looking for an appointment?” a pleasant girl at a desk asked.</p>
<p>“Um,” Zelda muttered, stepping inside. “Sorry, what is this?”</p>
<p>“This is the Writing Center. We’ll help you with any papers that you have for any class at any stage in the process. The other door is the Tutoring center, if you need help in something else like math.”</p>
<p>“Oh, uh, I don’t have any papers right now. I was just curious.”</p>
<p>“No problem! Here, take this. It’s our brochure. If you need to make an appointment, you can come in, call, or just go online! Just put in your student ID number and you’ll get a schedule with our availability.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Zelda said, flipping through it as she backed out.</p>
<p>“No problem! Have a good day!”</p>
<p>Then, Zelda set about the task of finding where she’d left Link.</p>
<p>It took her on an adventure outside and around an entire building until she recognized the door they came in, and as she retraced their steps, she found Link just moments after everyone began to leave the classroom.</p>
<p>“Hey!” he said, still putting his notebook away. “I was about to call you.”</p>
<p>“I got a little lost so I went on an adventure,” she admitted, handing him the water.</p>
<p>They spent the next hour eavesdropping on different classes in different buildings, exploring to their heart’s content long after their normal school day would have ended. But classes went on at the University.</p>
<p>Zelda finally dragged Link into a building with the sign, ‘Woodfall Commons’ outside, and the saw a great dining hall with stands separated by the companies that had set up shot. Zelda noted that the lack of a Hyrule Energized was a crime, but nevertheless, they agreed to eat dinner there soon enough.</p>
<p>Instead, Zelda followed the signs and pulled Link down the stairs with her as she excitedly went into the campus store. <em>This </em>was what she’d been waiting for.</p>
<p>It took all of three minutes for Zelda to befriend the student working the register, because she needed to put all her trinkets down somewhere. She’d picked out a travel mug, a magnet, a blanket, two hats, some pens, a bookmark, and a mug that said “Proud Sister of a UCH Student”, which was for Aryll, Zelda explained to the boy at the register once he saw it and then watched her nearly jump on Link in her excitement.</p>
<p>Link wrapped his arm around her but continued his casual perusal of the sweatshirts.</p>
<p>“You should get a few and I can steal one. Or I’ll buy it and just pretend it was yours. Oh, and you should get sweatpants. You love sweatpants. But if you do, then I’ll…”</p>
<p>Link let her go, and she bounded to the sweatpants, grabbing several with the logo and the school emblem on them. She started to separate the into her size and Link’s before handing his pile over. He was still at the same sweatshirt rack.</p>
<p>“Do you like any?”</p>
<p>Link glanced at the tags and then at Zelda. “You know I’ve gained weight, right?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think you have.”</p>
<p>“Tell that to the scale.”</p>
<p>Zelda pressed the pants against him, as if that would magically tell her if they’d actually fit. “Do you… want another size?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Larger.”</p>
<p>“Link…”</p>
<p>He put the sweatshirt in his hand down and turned to her. “I quit smoking… again. I stopped going for morning runs. I eat well now that I’m on a stable schedule. I’m fine with it for now. Maybe not later, but I am right now. Does it… bother you?”</p>
<p>“Link!” Zelda breathed before pulling him into a tight hug. “Gods, no.”</p>
<p>Before she could say anything else, Link grabbed a sweatshirt. “I don’t really want to talk about it. But how about this one? What do you think?” He let her go and tugged it over his head.</p>
<p>“You look hot,” Zelda said, playing with the sleeve.</p>
<p>Link shrugged it off and carried it. “I am. It’s really warm in here.”</p>
<p>Snorting, Zelda stuck with Link as they grabbed a few more things. Zelda was unashamed to spend more than a little too much money on their trip to the campus store, and they debated making a run to the car to put everything away before eating. But they were already there, and figured they’d just wait.</p>
<p>Together, they ordered their meals, surprised by the quality of the food. It was something they’d never say about DRHH. Zelda texted Makeela a picture of their meal, bragging about the taste while she’d had to eat the cafeteria food.</p>
<p>When they were satisfied that it was about time to leave and they no longer cared to blend in, Zelda took pictures of Link near every statue or sign that had UCH on it, even having him match the pose by a statue.</p>
<p>They took pictures together, and one of Link kissing Zelda’s cheek immediately became her new phone background.</p>
<p>As the sky began to darken, they headed back to the car, and Link looked wistfully at the lit-up campus once more before sitting in the driver’s seat. He had to get up early for work the next day, or he’d have considered asking Zelda to rent a room so they could explore the campus early again, but on a Saturday.</p>
<p>“This is where I’m going to get to go to school,” he said, turning to her with a large smile on his face.</p>
<p>“You’re going to fit right in. You’ve already got notes and everything.”</p>
<p>He chuckled before getting into the car, fueled up on thoughts of the classes they’d listened to, and the food they’d eaten, and the people they’d heard.</p>
<p>“Thanks for this,” Link said, kissing Zelda quickly before backing out of the lot. “This was a good day. A good date, too.”</p>
<p>“Anytime, Link. I had a lot of fun. And we got a lot of good stuff! Did you get Gabe that blanket I showed you?”</p>
<p>“I did.”</p>
<p>“You know,” Zelda said coyly, “If I end up going here too, we’re going to have to make another trip up here to go back to the store for a second haul.”</p>
<p>“You just want more sweatshirts.”</p>
<p>“See? You do know me well!”</p>
<p>He chuckled and headed out onto the dark highway, spending the next four hour drive fantasizing about a life he never knew he could dream of.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I don't have anything to say except that every time I went to a new college, this was the first thing I did and I'd raid the campus store, including at my job. So Zelda is me in this chapter, and I am unapologetic about it. Campus stores are FUN!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0053"><h2>53. Chapter 53</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was nearly the end of the school year, and Link felt a level of anxiety about graduation that he hadn’t thought was possible.</p>
<p>He’d gotten into his dream school, he was doing great with Zelda, he’d been excelling in his job. He didn’t know why he was so anxious. He just <em>was</em>.</p>
<p>He’d found great comfort with Pipit, who was equally anxious, though his was the opposite of Link’s. He’d wondered if he’d made the right call in choosing a gap year, he couldn’t bring himself to ask Makeela out on another date, and he was bored at work.</p>
<p>Gabe had told them that they were both acting very normal, that this was a feeling everyone had, but when it was happening to them, Link and Pipit felt distinctly confused, as if it were only them. As if there was nothing else that they could do.</p>
<p>And it didn’t help that Makeela had confidently chosen to attend a school in Eldin. She’d been given a full ride on sports scholarships. Revali had announced—rather loudly—that he was going to a different, more prestigious university in Central Hyrule. Ravio was going to Holodrum. Ruto to Necluda. Groose even, to Faron.</p>
<p>Somehow, everyone beginning to choose their schools had Link more stressed out, just knowing that it was coming up quickly.</p>
<p>Zelda had begun to get her acceptance letters. She’d gotten three of the seven she’d sent out, and UCH wasn’t in the pile yet, though she had been accepted to her other choices. And while Link was happy and would never ask her to choose UCH for his sake, the thought of losing her had him on edge as well.</p>
<p>And that was how Link began to second guess his decision.</p>
<p>It started with the thought that he might lose Zelda. Then, that he was going to lose his job. Then, he realized that Aryll would move in with Collin, so he’d lose his sister and his house. He’d lose his motorcycle for a time, since freshmen weren’t allowed vehicles on campus. He’d lose Gabe and Pipit. He’d lose Ilia. Makeela. Everyone.</p>
<p>But if he stayed. If he switched and took the scholarship to the local school, he’d save money, stay at his job, keep his motorcycle, his house, his sister, his friends, his father-figure. He’d have it all but the school.</p>
<p>So, Zelda ushered him into her car one Saturday, and drove aimlessly through the streets.</p>
<p>“How are you today?” she asked. She always asked when she saw him wringing out his hands.</p>
<p>“Fine. Where are we going?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know. Just driving for now.”</p>
<p>But Link could tell that she had a destination in mind and was warming him up for it.</p>
<p>“Zel,” Link finally said. “Just go wherever you want to take me.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” she chuckled. He knew her too well by now. “Don’t get mad.”</p>
<p>“That’s a really positive sign.”</p>
<p>Zelda chuckled. “It’s not… not <em>that</em> bad.”</p>
<p>Link groaned and looked out the window, trying not to think of where she could be bringing him. So instead, he decided to change the subject and distract his mind. “Did you talk to your dad last night?”</p>
<p>“Not really. Why?”</p>
<p>“I was going to text you, but I just fell right asleep when I got home. He came into the shop last night.”</p>
<p>Zelda accidently hit the brakes, jerking the car before she corrected it. “What?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he said he needed his watch fixed. It literally just needed batteries. He asked how I was, and then he left. I mean, literally, that was our whole conversation. I fixed the watch, and he left.”</p>
<p>“Oh gods, he came e to your work?”</p>
<p>“Yeah!” Link laughed, pushing his hair back. “He’s either warming up to me, didn’t know that’s where I worked, or he’s keeping tabs on me now. I don’t even know which. I was hoping he’d mentioned it to you.”</p>
<p>“No, he didn’t! And you!” she whacked his arm. “Next time you have to text me while he’s there or something!”</p>
<p>“I was going to call!”</p>
<p>“You didn’t!” Zelda practically screamed. She wasn’t angry, but a sudden anxious wave crashed over her at the news. “Gods… he really didn’t say anything else?”</p>
<p>“No, he asked me to fix the watch, I changed the batteries for free, he left some money anyway, and then he left!”</p>
<p>“Wow,” Zelda sighed. “That’s crazy. I’m going to have to ask him about that.”</p>
<p>Link smiled as he turned to her. “He’s going to be home tonight?”</p>
<p>“I think so, yeah. Not my mom, but my dad is coming home. Maybe he finally heard me. Maybe just a little bit.”</p>
<p>“I hope so,” Link said, grabbing her hand and squeezing before letting go. “Where are we going?”</p>
<p>“Almost there,” Zelda said hesitantly. She glanced at Link and then back at the road. “So, are you going to ask me to prom?”</p>
<p>Link chuckled. “I thought it was implied?”</p>
<p>“No. You have to ask me.” She smiled as she eyed him again.</p>
<p>“Okay. Zelda, will you please do me the honor of accompanying me to our final high school dance?”</p>
<p>She snorted. “Dramatic, Link. But yes, I will.”</p>
<p>And then Link froze.</p>
<p>Zelda stopped the car and turned to Link. “Is this okay?”</p>
<p>He stared at the metal archway, the entwined bars, the open gate.</p>
<p>The cemetery.</p>
<p>He’d already made his yearly trip. He’d broken down. He’d had flashbacks.</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>Zelda bit her lip. “There’s something I want to do, and I want you to be there for it.”</p>
<p>Letting out a harsh groan, Link rolled down the window for some much-needed air. He scratched at his arm, the arm with his patch on it. “Yeah. Go for it.”</p>
<p>“We leave immediately if you need to, okay?”</p>
<p>He nodded, suddenly feeling his throat dry up. All words vanished from his mind, and he let out a long, long breath.</p>
<p>Zelda pulled in and drove to the area she remembered finding Link the last time. When she got lost, he pointed in the right direction, but he couldn’t bring himself to vocalize any specifics. Zelda had her hand on his knee as she navigated the empty paths until Link all but told her to stop.</p>
<p>She parked the car and waited by his door. He slowly managed to get out of it and reached for Zelda’s hand as he led her three rows down, almost to the center of the grassy area, but not exactly. And then he tapped his foot in front of Mikau’s stone.</p>
<p>“Mind if I sit?” Zelda asked.</p>
<p>Link shook his head and followed, sitting behind her, kneeling so his mouth could rest on her shoulder, almost using her as a shield in some ways.</p>
<p>Zelda took a breath and stared at the stone. “Hi, Mikau.”</p>
<p>Link gripped her tighter.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what it’s like…on the other side. I don’t know if you can hear me, or see me, or if you’re even there. But I’m Zelda. Link and I have been dating for a bit, and I realized I haven’t introduced myself, which is rude, since you’re Link’s best friend.”</p>
<p>“Zelda, what are you doing?”</p>
<p>“Talking.” She tilted her head into Link, but she kept addressing the stone. “Link just got into UCH. I don’t know if he ever talked about college with you, but it wasn’t his original plan. And… I think I can see him getting nervous now. He’s got his smoking patch on again, which I can tell means he wants—”</p>
<p>“I don’t—”</p>
<p>Zelda turned her head. “I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to Mikau.”</p>
<p>Link rolled his eyes and returned to his place on her shoulder.</p>
<p>“He’s stronger than he thinks, and I know you would agree with me,” she continued. “I know he wishes you were here, or that you were going with him to UCH. He doesn’t know this yet, but I got a letter yesterday. An acceptance letter. To UCH.” She nudged him gently and felt him bury his face further into her.</p>
<p>“See,” she said, shifting for Link’s sake. “I want to go, but I don’t want him to think it’s <em>because</em> of him. And while, sure, going to the same school as your boyfriend is great, they do have a whole program for nursing, where all the other schools I applied to were more business focused, which I don’t want to do. It was for my parents. And I wanted you to be here so Link knew I wasn’t lying when I told him I’m going to say yes.”</p>
<p>“Zelda,” Link muttered.</p>
<p>But she wasn’t ready to talk to him. “So I’m going to do that. Link, I doubt he’s told you, but he’s going into engineering. Which I think is great, because he’s smart, but you know that.”</p>
<p>She could feel Link move around behind her, but she couldn’t tell what he was doing.</p>
<p>He quickly let her go and scooted up beside her instead, and she saw him fiddling with the patch in his hands, ripped off his arm.</p>
<p>“It should have been me.”</p>
<p>“Link, it wasn’t—”</p>
<p>“I’m not talking to you,” he said with a sad grin. Zelda nodded and sat back as he continued to spin the patch around. “It was my father. His car. So it’s only fair that it should have been me. Well, fuck, it shouldn’t have been either of us really. But if it had to be one, then it should have been me.” Link sighed and looked up at the stone. “I want to help people. Maybe you could have been helped. If I was smarter, maybe I’d want to be a surgeon, but that’s not my thing. I don’t know. I don’t want to work with cars. But something about cars and gears has gotten me through these past few years. Maybe it’s because they keep working as long as you put in the effort? Like, they’re fixable.”</p>
<p>He looked at Zelda and held out his hand, which she took.</p>
<p>“And Zelda’s right. I’m getting nervous. Nervous for school. Nervous to fix myself. Nervous to leave here, to end this chapter. And I wish you were here to help me. But I have her. And I have Gabe. I have Aryll. Pipit and Ilia. I have people. But sometimes, this selfish part of me wishes they were you.” He turned to Zelda, tears on the brim of his eyes. His arm snaked around her and pulled her close. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“Don’t be,” she said, her own arms hugging around his waist.</p>
<p>Sniffling, Link tightened his grip. “I love you. And that’s to both of you.”</p>
<p>“Love you, too,” Zelda chuckled into him, though she felt her own tear drop down her cheek.</p>
<p>The wind picked up and ran through their hair, pushing it into their faces. Link pushed it back, only for it to be blown again, so he gave up.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Zelda asked. And he knew she didn’t mean because of his fight with the wind.</p>
<p>“Yeah. This felt okay.” He glanced at her before tucking her closer to him. “Where’d you get this idea anyway?”</p>
<p>But Zelda hesitated.</p>
<p>“What?” Link asked, feeling a lightness wash over him as he laughed.</p>
<p>“I…” Zelda bit her lip and shook her head. “You know that episode of <em>The Twilight Throne</em> where Mina spoke to Aedan?”</p>
<p>“Gods, Zelda!” Link balked, unable to stop his laughter. “You got this from a fantasy TV show? I fucking love you.”</p>
<p>Zelda rolled her eyes and hid her head in Link’s arm. “It worked though!”</p>
<p>There was a long stretch where they stayed like that, unmoving in the grass. They both reveled in it, in the peace it brought.</p>
<p>“Zelda?” Link finally asked.</p>
<p>“Mhmm?”</p>
<p>“Does UCH have co-ed dorms?”</p>
<p>Zelda pulled away from him and laughed. “I don’t know! Do you want to go grab something to eat and we can look it up?”</p>
<p>Link stood and hoisted Zelda off the grass, wrapping his arms around her so it made it particularly difficult to walk.</p>
<p>But they headed back to the car like that, and Link didn’t want to let go.</p>
<p>“You can drive, if you want,” she threatened when he didn’t let her into the car.</p>
<p>“I’ll drive if you help me with that history assignment.”</p>
<p>Zelda rolled her eyes and unwrapped his arms from her, laughing. “Gods, I have four more years of this now!”</p>
<p>“What about grad school? That’s six years,” Link laughed, sliding into the drivers’ seat.</p>
<p>“Gods!” she snorted.</p>
<p>But in truth, she hoped it was longer than that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, okay! Long break was sorely needed, and may still be needed! You know how when something is nearly over, you get really sad and just don't want to work on it? So instead, I've been working on my WIP pirate fic and some other fics, which has been making me really happy, but that means less inspiration when I look back at this! But even though it's almost been a month, this wasn't forgotten!</p>
<p>So here's what I've got for you! For the past like 20 chapters I've been saying it's time to wrap this up. Well time's here! I was going to end it in the next chapter, but I think my compromise with myself is that I'm going to do 3 short chapters (this one was short compared to usual, but probably shorter than this). And THEN I'll wrap it up! So if all goes to plan, this will end on chapter 57ISH. I'm not fixing that "53 of ?" chapter section yet just in case it changes to a lower number like 56, but know that this is the REAL wrap up time now! This is the home stretch! It's endgame! Like Link, it's almost time.... to move on to other things. (see what I did? I connected this long note to the chapter hahahaha)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0054"><h2>54. Chapter 54</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So, Link, when would you like to meet again?”</p>
<p>Link shifted on the couch as he pulled out his phone and scanned his calendar. Work was taking up a fair amount of time, and it was getting harder to keep track of his schedule. There was tech for the play, there was work, there was school. Gods, Link wasn’t sure how he’d ever managed a schedule with three jobs.</p>
<p>“Tomorrow,” he chuckled, but the woman waited patiently as Link scrolled through his phone. “Actually, I can just do the same time next week. Does that work for you?”</p>
<p>The woman sifted through the appointment book and nodded. “That’s fine. You have the 3 o’clock on Friday.” She smiled and handed him her business card with the appointment written on the back. “Have fun at the dance, Link.”</p>
<p>“Thanks. Have a good weekend, Dr. Purah.”</p>
<p>He slipped the card into his back pocket and grabbed his keys as he headed out into the waiting room and then down the stairs into the parking lot. He pulled his helmet on, relieved for the change in weather. With the snow, it had been too hard to drive his bike around, but now, the cold was breaking.</p>
<p>Before he knew it, he was home, cutting off the engine and fixing his tousled hair before going back in the house.</p>
<p>“Hey,” he said as he passed Aryll.</p>
<p>“Hey. How was therapy?”</p>
<p>“Same. Good.” He threw himself onto the couch and sighed. “Zelda will be here soon.”</p>
<p>“Okay. You all packed?”</p>
<p>“Mostly.” Link glanced at his room, at the backpack he’d stuffed with clothes for the night, and at the much nicer outfit on a hanger that Aryll had to pry from his hands before he could roll it and stuff it into his bag. “I just need, like, a charger. Things like that”</p>
<p>“Take tons of pictures for me,” Aryll insisted, leaning forward, suddenly much more interested. “I want to frame one of you and Zelda, so make it a good one.”</p>
<p>Link grimaced, but he had a feeling that even if he didn’t take a picture just to spite Aryll, Zelda was probably already in on it and would find a way to get a picture.</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah.”</p>
<p>He wandered around, grabbing the smaller things he’d need before packing up and heading outside when Zelda honked the horn.</p>
<p>“Got your wallet?” Aryll called.</p>
<p>“Yes mom,” Link said, waving at her as he closed the door.</p>
<p>Zelda was leaning out the window, her head resting on her arm. She perked up when she saw Link, and she gestured to the trunk. She wasn’t the only one in the car, so Link tossed his bag into the trunk before sliding into the backseat beside Pipit and Ilia. He leaned forward and shook Makeela’s shoulders as his greeting to her as well before closing the door and pulling his seatbelt on.</p>
<p>Zelda knew that Revali, Sidon, Darunia, Groose, Medli, Ruto, and Ravio, to name a few were all sharing rented limos to get to and from prom tomorrow night. They’d planned to arrive in style, and Zelda bit her lip at the thought that if she hadn’t become friends with Link, she’d probably be asking her parents to foot an exorbitant bill for a short drive. This was, of course, before she understood the value of money, now that she earned her own. She could never imagine herself paying for that now, not when she had a perfectly good car.</p>
<p>But she did split a hotel room across the street from the rented location for their prom. So she, Link, Pipit, Makeela, and Ilia headed to their room. One room, two beds, and a cot. Link and Zelda laughed when they realized there was going to be an awkward chat about who was sharing the second bed and who got the cot.</p>
<p>Makeela and Pipit were both too determined to deny that they had a relationship going on. It was very much on the down low, and no matter how many times Link and Zelda had asked them why, they’d both simply denied anything existed. It was cryptic, and it was odd, and it made no sense. Makeela had asked Pipit to prom, after all.</p>
<p>Zelda enlisted Link and Ilia to get it out of them over the weekend.</p>
<p>The drive didn’t take too long; the location of prom was only about 20 minutes away from school. This was about the adventure—not practicality—for once in their lives.</p>
<p>The hotel room they rented wasn’t spacious. The two beds, a dresser with a television on it, and a desk took up most of the room. The first thing everyone did was hang up the obnoxious things they couldn’t fold into their backpacks and set them against the wall, taking up more room. They were going to have to get really crafty with the cot.</p>
<p>But that wasn’t Link’s concern.</p>
<p>He threw himself onto the bed and let out a long sigh as he sank into the soft mattress. “Zel,” he muttered, his voice muffled by the blanket, “Your bed has competition.”</p>
<p>“Really?” she asked before joining him. She plopped beside him and adjusted herself. “I don’t think so. Maybe you secretly just hate your futon.”</p>
<p>“Your bed is a futon?” Makeela asked.</p>
<p>Link glanced suspiciously at Zelda.</p>
<p>“What? I don’t tell her everything.”</p>
<p>Makeela let out an offended squeak. “Well <em>that’s </em>going to change!”</p>
<p>Link rolled over onto his back and patted the spot beside him. Ilia flopped down, leaving Pipit and Makeela awkwardly standing beside each other.</p>
<p>“This place has a pool. You all brought your stuff, right?” Zelda asked, sitting up just enough to look at Makeela.</p>
<p>Link translated for Pipit, and then turned his head. “You remember I can’t swim, right? Is this some pre-graduation murder ritual you two have been planning this whole time?”</p>
<p>“Obviously,” Zelda said, leaning over to give him a placating kiss before springing up.</p>
<p>And within twenty minutes, she’d managed to wrangle all of them to the hotel pool. They’d figure shower logistics out later, but Zelda had no intention to pass up the heated, indoor pool. Hers had been closed for too long, and she missed the lapping of water against her. She missed the smell of chlorine and the burn in her eyes and the rotten taste when she accidently swallowed any.</p>
<p>The pool was gloriously deserted of anyone else, and to everyone’s surprise, Pipit was the first one in, tucking his legs as he jumped off the ledge. Ilia and Makeela followed shortly after. Link and Zelda stayed outside along the edge where he let his feet dangle in but that was all.</p>
<p>“You can go in,” Link said, trying to nudge Zelda away.</p>
<p>“What if I want to hang out with you?”</p>
<p>“Well, I won’t stop you.”</p>
<p>Zelda leaned her head on Link’s shoulder, watching Makeela and Pipit dive to the bottom of the deep end. Ilia was floating on her back, her eyes closed.</p>
<p>“You nervous?” </p>
<p>“For tomorrow?” Link asked. “No. It’s just prom.”</p>
<p>“I mean for everything. I am.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” He watched Pipit kick the surface of the water, a huge splash landing on Ilia making her sputter out of her floating position. “Yeah, I am. But we have the whole summer to be nervous. Why start now?”</p>
<p>Zelda grinned and nodded before sliding away from him. He watched her walk around the pool and lie on the ground on her stomach, reaching for something under a lounge chair. When she sat back up, she waved a plastic diving stick in her hand. “Forgotten toy.”</p>
<p>Winding her arm back, she threw it over to the deep end where Ilia had joined the other two. The splash it made had them all flinching back as if it had been a shark that had fallen into the pool.</p>
<p>“What was that?” Makeela shouted at Zelda, who’s laughter gave her away as the culprit. Rather than waiting for a response, she dove down and popped back up with an excited gasp. “Diving stick!” She closed her eyes and threw it backwards over her shoulder before turning around quickly in an attempt to beat Pipit and Ilia to it. Three large splashes cascaded up out of the water and sprayed back down.</p>
<p>“Like playing fetch,” Zelda laughed before finally jumping into the water near Link. When she popped up, she tried to fight a laugh at his stoic face dripping with water from her ungraceful entrance into the pool. “Come on! Stay on the shallow side with me.”</p>
<p>She leaned on his leg, her eyes wide and pleading.</p>
<p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p>
<p>“Fine.”</p>
<p>It took him some time to actually do it, but when he finally dropped into the pool, he pressed his back against the edge and crossed his arms over his chest, almost like he was defying the water. Or at least doing the bare minimum to appease Zelda.</p>
<p>She was undeterred. “Want me to teach you to swim?”</p>
<p>“Nope. I’m happy not swimming.”</p>
<p>“What if we go on a boat adventure some day and then we hit a rock and the boat tips and you were leaning on the side so you and I fell out and needed to swim back to it? What would you do?”</p>
<p>“Drown probably. Not on purpose, but you know, that tends to happen to people who fall into the ocean and can’t swim. Or maybe I’d flop over to the rock that we hit and just sit there until I die of dehydration.”</p>
<p>“You’re the worst. I’d save you before then.”</p>
<p>“Thanks.”</p>
<p>She pulled his arms away from his chest. “No, really. Want to see how easy it is for me to carry you around in the water?”</p>
<p>“Not—”</p>
<p>She already pulled him away from the edge and lifted him, carrying him away.</p>
<p>“Fucking hell,” he hissed, holding tightly to her shoulders. But on some level, he let her get away with it. He could have planted his feet or pushed away from her. He could have shifted himself ever so slightly so he could grab <em>her</em> to get her off of him.</p>
<p>Zelda knew this too. “You do trust me!”</p>
<p>He tightened his grip. “You’re fucking right I do, so if you let me drown, I’m going to haunt the fuck out of you. All of you. Because those idiots would be too busy with that stick to see if I’m dead over here.”</p>
<p>“You’re not going to drown in four feet of water while I’m literally holding you, Link.”</p>
<p>He scoffed.</p>
<p>“Watch! I’ll give you a piggyback instead.”</p>
<p>“Zelda…”</p>
<p>“This is maybe the only time I’ll ever be able to give you a proper one, so take advantage of my kindness.”</p>
<p>“Is it kindness?” he said, though again, he obliged her because gods forbid he could say no to her.</p>
<p>He wrapped his arms around her neck and vaguely dangled off her, shaking his head the whole time. It was the least graceful piggyback, but he didn’t really care.</p>
<p>“This was fun, now can you bring me back?”</p>
<p>Zelda did, and when she let him hop off, he happily rested against the edge again. She bit her lip as she studied him.</p>
<p>“I knew you couldn’t swim, but I never knew you were <em>afraid</em> of the water.”</p>
<p>“I’m in the water, aren’t I? I’m just not keen on drowning.”</p>
<p>She pulled her legs up and let herself float around. “Well, thank you.”</p>
<p>“Mhmm,” he muttered, watching the others splash around as they tackled each other to grab the diving stick, pulling each other under like piranhas. <em>They</em> were a hazard.</p>
<p>Zelda stayed beside Link, and they watched the mayhem on the other end of the pool. She wasn’t even interested in getting into that mess.</p>
<p>So it wasn’t until they were all sore and tired that they waded back into the shallow end for a break that they really noticed Link in the pool.</p>
<p>“<em>I’ve never seen you in the water,”</em> Pipit signed before sitting on the ladder into the pool.</p>
<p>Makeela swam over to Zelda and hung off her. “You know Link, Zelda has a pool. I don’t think I saw you in it earlier this year.”</p>
<p>Link smirked and shook his head.</p>
<p>“And I’ve never seen your tattoos! That’s a lot bigger than I thought they’d be!”</p>
<p>Link held out his hand. “Can I see the diving stick?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Ilia said, handing it to him.</p>
<p>He tossed it back into the deep end of the pool.</p>
<p>They all gave him a pointed look before glancing at one another.</p>
<p>And made a break for it.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Prom started off as one of the most… <em>interesting</em> school events that Zelda had been to.</p>
<p>Mrs. Joy stood at the entrance to the rented out hall and had a line formed in front of her as, one by one, she tested each student with a breathalyzer while the girls opened any bag they had for inspection. The boys had to move the flaps of their jackets to be sure there were no hidden flasks in their inner pockets.</p>
<p>Only when each student had been cleared could they pass by her to give their ticket to Mr. Auru.</p>
<p>He tried to perk everyone’s spirits up after dealing with Mrs. Joy, and even let off a joke or two at her expense. Getting into the hall was a nightmare in itself.</p>
<p>Zelda hadn’t expected it to be easy. In fact, as soon as she saw Mrs. Joy at the door, she’d braced herself.</p>
<p>And wasn’t disappointed. “Miss Harkinian,” Mrs Joy muttered, shoving the stick into Zelda’s mouth. “Blow into the tube.”</p>
<p>The reading flashed green, and Zelda saw the zeros, but Mrs. Joy cleared her throat. “Do it again. The reading was inconclusive.”</p>
<p>They stared at each other for a moment before Zelda relented and accepted it. This was nearly over. Soon, she wouldn’t have to deal with Mrs. Joy ever again.</p>
<p>Link faced similar hostility from Mrs. Joy, no doubt because of Zelda, but Makeela, Pipit, and Ilia were allowed through with no problem.  </p>
<p>They all took professional prom pictures together in the corner of the room, every combination of the group they were allowed before the photographer kicked them out in favor of the next one. Link and Zelda. Link and Pipit. Pipit and Makeela. Zelda and Makeela. Makeela and Ilia. Ilia and Link. All of them together.</p>
<p>By the time most everyone else had gotten through Mrs. Joy’s rigorous scanning, dinner was being served. Link and Zelda had ordered two different meals so they could taste both. Zelda chose the roast cucco, and Link got the beef option, which was adorned with the very non-edible petals of a flower.</p>
<p>They found <em>that </em>out the hard way.</p>
<p>“Think this is meant to be eaten?” Link asked the table.</p>
<p>Pipit shook his head, but Ilia laughed. “Yes! Do it!”</p>
<p>“Gods, Link, don’t eat the flower,” Zelda tried, glancing over at him after taking a picture of her plate.</p>
<p>“I’m going to eat the flower.”</p>
<p>The flower was not meant to be eaten.</p>
<p>Zelda squealed when Link shoved the whole thing into his mouth. She snapped a picture of him with a petal hanging over his lips as he made a disgusted face. He chewed it relentlessly before finally pulling it from his mouth and hiding it in his napkin.</p>
<p>“That was gross. It was like rubber.”</p>
<p>Ten minutes later, Link got a text from Aryll. A flower.</p>
<p>He turned accusingly to Zelda. “You sent that to Aryll?”</p>
<p>“She wanted pictures to frame. And I want that picture framed.”</p>
<p>“Betrayer,” he muttered.</p>
<p>Once the food had been taken away and dessert was served, several people started piling onto the dance floor as music played. The group opted to watch everyone for a while and to eat the cake that had been served before joining in.</p>
<p>Ravio and Ruto had formed a posse to block them from the chaperones while they danced up on one another. Several others progressively joined in, and Mrs. Joy’s suspicious nature won out at the gathering and she hurried over to break it up.</p>
<p>Sidon, Revali, and Darunia sat together at the next table as they laughed at something Sidon said. It was boisterous and loud, but not obnoxious. They were having fun.</p>
<p>Zelda saw Medli, and she saw Groose. They were dancing separately, but both were alone. Beside them was Ralis.</p>
<p>Ilia squared her shoulders and stood up. “I’ll be back,” she said before crossing the room to stand beside him.</p>
<p>Link smacked Pipit in the arm several times as they watched her start up a conversation with him. She’d wanted to all year.</p>
<p>Once the music got louder, Link pulled Zelda with him outside into the little garden behind the hall. They passed the window several times, each time checking to see if Pipit and Makeela would get up to dance. Instead, the entire time, they were scribbling back and forth on the whiteboard.</p>
<p>After giving up on <em>that</em>, Link and Zelda went back inside and moved onto the dance floor. There was an upbeat song that neither of them knew the words to, so Zelda pulled Link with her up to the DJ’s station.</p>
<p>“Do you take requests? Because I really think you should play some Indigo-Go’s!”</p>
<p>“Alright!” the DJ responded before going back t her job.</p>
<p>Zelda beamed, and sure enough, two songs later, the Indigo-Go’s came on. It was a radio remix which basically just made it more danceable.</p>
<p>Zelda hauled Link with her onto the edge of the dancefloor and grabbed his hands, swinging them wildly. Link laughed, but he followed her lead, spinning and swinging. He pulled her into his arms and they did the exact same thing, laughing the entire time as curious heads turned to them. This was not a mainstream group anyway, so few other students even knew the song.</p>
<p>By the time it was over, they were out of breath. Zelda leaned in and kissed Link before they headed back to Pipit and Makeela.</p>
<p>But they didn’t sit.</p>
<p>Instead, Link moved behind Pipit and physically hoisted him to his feet, while Zelda pulled Makeela by the hand. They stood directly in front of the speakers for Pipit, who could feel the beat through the vibrations in the floor from the rumbling speakers.</p>
<p>For several songs, that’s all they did: wildly dancing to the music with each other. Zelda and Makeela held hands as they swung each other around. Link and Pipit mimicked each other’s awkward dance moves, taking each other <em>so</em> seriously.</p>
<p>And then, the music changed.</p>
<p><em>“Slow song,” </em>Link signed. “<em>Get out there! You don’t even need the music. Just sway.”</em></p>
<p>Zelda followed his words and grabbed Link’s arm, pulling him a little way away before easily leaning into him, no intention of doing anything more than stepping side to side. She was happy to just be in his tight embrace.</p>
<p>And more often than not, they snuck a glance at Makeela and Pipit. Makeela held out her hand, and Pipit took it before they moved into the most stereotypical middle school dancing position on the planet.</p>
<p>Zelda grinned and hid it against Link when Makeela turned her head to Zelda for moral support. Zelda nodded enthusiastically and whispered what was happening for Link.</p>
<p>They spun around, rocking slowly to the beat, and watched Ilia tell Ralis a story where she sat at a table. She leaned on her elbows and her hands flickered around at her wrist as she tried to explain something.</p>
<p>Link leaned his head against Zelda’s. “Remember when we were really awkward with each other?”</p>
<p>“No. We were never awkward,” Zelda laughed.</p>
<p>“Like, our second conversation you asked me if I had condoms in my pocket. We were awkward.”</p>
<p>Zelda grimaced. “Oh. Yeah, maybe we were. Maybe we still are. <em>Maybe</em> we’ll look back at tonight and be like, ‘remember how awkward we were at prom?’”</p>
<p>Humming, Link held Zelda a little tighter. “Maybe we’ll be so old we just won’t remember how awkward we were.”</p>
<p>Zelda’s lips twitched up and she pulled far enough away to look at him.</p>
<p>Link stared at her, confused by her smug expression. And then it hit him.</p>
<p>Like a tractor full of bricks.</p>
<p>“Oh! I didn’t mean we’d… well, yeah, I guess that’s what I meant… but I didn’t… fuck. I made this awkward.”</p>
<p>Zelda could feel his throat bob as he swallowed hard. She shook her head and leaned on him. “No, you didn’t.”</p>
<p>Before he’d properly met Zelda, he’d always imagined that maybe some girl would come into Gabe’s shop. She’d be pretty, and that’s all he’d know about her before swallowing his nerves and asking her out. Maybe she’d say yes. Maybe they’d hit it off. If they didn’t, he’d pay for some girl’s cigarettes at the corner store and somehow, that would bring him luck enough to go out with her. But in terms of dating, that was all he could see for himself. He had too much baggage for anyone else to help shoulder. He wouldn’t have minded; it wasn’t something he’d expected to find anyway.</p>
<p>He’d go to school for a while and then work at the shop until Gabe retired and passed it on to Link. He’d go home to his empty house because Aryll would have moved in with Collin by then. He’d watch some television, have a few cigarettes, maybe hang out with Pipit, and go to sleep. There was nothing wrong with that future either. Sure, the thought of what the future might look like just ended abruptly in his mind, but he’d always wanted to run the shop someday. He’d find fulfillment in his work, and he’d earned every second of it.</p>
<p>But since Zelda, he’d started to picture a different future. He’d go to college, maybe double major like he always wanted to. He’d graduate, and maybe he’d need a higher degree for whatever job he wanted. If he could afford it, he’d do it, but if not, he’d get a job somewhere in Central Hyrule, where all the opportunities were. He’d have a safety net in Gabe and the shop, so he could throw himself out there and try things he’d never thought of before.</p>
<p>And one day, maybe he’d have a house that he was able to afford with a salary that didn’t just get him by. Maybe he’d own the house rather than rent an apartment. He liked apartments, but the thought of his own house, his own garage? It wasn’t something he could have imagined affording with Gabe’s shop, even full time. Even with a part time second job, it would take him <em>years</em> to even consider not needing a roommate to split the bills with.</p>
<p>And if he did split the bills with someone, there was only one other person he could picture that being.</p>
<p>“Zelda?” he muttered, his heart racing.</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>He hesitated, bombarded with images of them in the future: adventuring, cooking, relaxing. He could even see them fighting, though they’d always end up back together after.</p>
<p>“I love you.”</p>
<p>Zelda chuckled. “Smooth recovery.”</p>
<p>“That’s because <em>I’m</em> smooth.”</p>
<p>She scoffed and bit back her laughter. “Okay, Link.”</p>
<p>He smiled and relaxed, leaning into her again. He wouldn’t risk kissing her on the edge of the dancefloor when Mrs. Joy was right there, waiting for an excuse to charge over and embarrass a few students.</p>
<p>But they were the only ones on the edge.</p>
<p>Link sucked in a breath and tapped Zelda’s back rapidly until she looked up at him. Zelda followed his gaze and held back a squeal as they saw Makeela and Pipit kiss. It was fast, and they both pulled away from it as a blushing mess, but Zelda squeezed Link and shook him by the arms with excitement.</p>
<p>“Fuck yeah!” she whispered.</p>
<p>Link bit his lip and turned his attention to her.</p>
<p>She giggled and waved her arm around by his neck. “I’m <em>excited</em>, okay? I have been waiting for this!” She stopped herself and gasped. “Oh gods, I’ve turned into Makeela. This is what she did to me. And she wanted a picture, and now I want a picture. Gods, she’s rubbing off on me!”</p>
<p>“Too bad Ilia missed it. She’s the worst detective.”</p>
<p>“Should we tell her?”</p>
<p>“Not yet,” Link said, glancing behind him. “She’s been wanting to talk to Ralis all year, remember?”</p>
<p>“Right. Well are we going to pretend we didn’t see and let them tell us?”</p>
<p>Link wriggled his eyebrows. “I bet you ten rupees that they try to keep it a secret today.”</p>
<p>Zelda smirked. “I’ll take that bet. Makeela will get too excited and tell me when we’re alone.”</p>
<p>“How do I know you won’t cheat then? You just want my rupees.”</p>
<p>“Yes, I do.”</p>
<p>She ended up winning them.</p>
<p>Makeela ended up dragging Zelda out towards the bathroom to tell her, and Pipit just stayed nervously twiddling his thumbs at the table with Link, who stared him down with burning suspicion.</p>
<p>When Makeela pulled Ilia away from Ralis to dance with her, Ilia was left with crushing disappointment, not because of the loss of Ralis’ company, but that she had missed the event.</p>
<p>Makeela was then too nervous to go anywhere near Pipit whenever the music turned slow. She even opted to dance with Ilia instead.</p>
<p>Pipit was no better, anxiously sitting at the table eating the snacks that were brought out rather than participating.</p>
<p>Link finally got Pipit to confess near the end of then night when he was pretty sure Pip was going to have an actual heart attack.</p>
<p>Prom King and Queen was announced in the latter half of the evening. Zelda had written in Makeela’s name for fun, and had voted for Darunia, so she was disappointed to see Ravio and Ruto take the crowns.</p>
<p>On the ride back to the hotel, Zelda sent Aryll all her pictures before being drawn into a long conversation about switching up the sleeping arrangements. So Zelda, Makeela, and Ilia crammed into one bed, while Link and Pipit shared the other. Link faced Zelda and rolled his eyes before turning off the light.</p>
<p>In the morning, they woke to find Pipit and Makeela asleep on the cot, curled up in what looked like they’d both just tipped over at some point. The whiteboard was between them with a smudged word in Makeela’s handwriting illegible on it.</p>
<p>The ride home was as short as the ride there. Zelda dropped off Ilia and Pipit first before stopping at Link’s.</p>
<p>Link walked around to Zelda’s window and she rolled it down and leaned out. “I’m staying at Makeela’s tonight. She has a story for me.”</p>
<p>“Shut up!” Makeela hissed, whacking Zelda’s arm.</p>
<p>He chuckled and kissed her though the window. “I’ll see you at school then.”</p>
<p>“Do you want to come over tomorrow after work? We have that lab report to do.”</p>
<p>“Is that an innuendo?”</p>
<p>Zelda scoffed and rolled the window up with a grin. “Goodbye, Link.”</p>
<p>He hiked his backpack up and smiled. “Bye, Zel.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>"I'm going to do three shorter chapters" she once said. Lies! I combined two of them together and made this normal sized chapter instead! So wow, we're really almost done now! I think two chapters left-ish!? Here we go! <br/>Also, I'm going to shamelessly plug a fic and say I started posting that Pirate LOZ fic I've occasionally yapped about down here, which will probably become my main fic after I finish posting this one!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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